as in referee
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy
the dean of student affairs is the proper arbiter when a student disputes a grade
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Recent Examples of arbiter
What explains the loss of poise and dignity among the traditional arbiters?
—
Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
So the key distinction is that there’s a neutral arbiter.
—John E. Jones, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Appoint a Book Club Editor in Chief I’m all for democracy, but there’s still a place for arbiters of taste.
—Lauren Mechling, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
Still, Ternus isn’t the final arbiter for design decisions, which have been made by consensus for several years.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arbiter
Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
So the key distinction is that there’s a neutral arbiter.
—John E. Jones, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Appoint a Book Club Editor in Chief I’m all for democracy, but there’s still a place for arbiters of taste.
—Lauren Mechling, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
Still, Ternus isn’t the final arbiter for design decisions, which have been made by consensus for several years.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arbiter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbiter
Noun
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Cernak grabbed Tkachuk, the two shared a few expletives, and a referee blew his whistle.—
Chris Kudialis,
Miami Herald,
21 Feb. 2026
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For the first time in a year, the Supreme Court just played referee in a big way.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The defense attorney has told the judge that Dratman and Fischer failed to call up a witness who gave investigators an alibi for Serafini on the day his wife’s parents were shot.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
21 Feb. 2026
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The judge's order prohibits officials from preparing for the referendum through March 18.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But starting this season, it will be used at the major league level, giving players the chance to appeal an umpire’s ball-strike call.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
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And without an umpire watching closely — or without video evidence — that kind of infraction can be difficult to spot.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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An arbitrator this month awarded nearly $400,000 to some nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian’s Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital for having to work while short-staffed in 2023 and 2024, the union said, heralding the decision as evidence of the problems that prompted the strike.—
Philip Marcelo,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
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An arbitrator awarded nearly $400,000 to nurses who work in a pediatric ICU unit at the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital due to chronic overstaffing, according to the New York State Nurses Association.—
Christina Fan,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arbiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbiter. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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