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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of arbiter
There’s nothing wrong with treating a team’s record as the ultimate arbiter of its quality.
—
Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Moreover, clinicians are winning more than 70% of IDR disputes because independent arbiters recognize that insurers are underpaying.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
Later, criticism also came from arbiters of high modernism, such as Clement Greenberg, who wrote off New Deal art as kitsch for the masses.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Who gets to be the arbiter of what intelligence is and who, or what, has it?
—Big Think, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arbiter
Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Moreover, clinicians are winning more than 70% of IDR disputes because independent arbiters recognize that insurers are underpaying.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
Later, criticism also came from arbiters of high modernism, such as Clement Greenberg, who wrote off New Deal art as kitsch for the masses.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Who gets to be the arbiter of what intelligence is and who, or what, has it?
—Big Think, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arbiter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbiter
Noun
-
The 42-year-old Swanson overmatched Landwehr with a bevy of punches to the head before referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight with 54 seconds left in the opening round.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The 42-year-old Swanson overmatched Landwehr with a bevy of punches to the head before referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight with 54 seconds left in the opening round.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Relatives of the defendant, about a half dozen of whom watched from the gallery at his arraignment, cheered the judge’s decision to cut Alexander loose.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The probe had been crippled by a federal judge's ruling quashing subpoenas her office issued to the Federal Reserve related to a multi-billion-dollar renovation of its headquarters in Washington.—
Sean Conlon,Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the umpires ruled the play still live and Antonacci ran around the bases for a two-run, inside-the-park home run.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Judge was at the plate in the third inning when the umpire said the Royals’ Noah Cameron had missed the zone with a curveball.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The dealer argued in court that the arbitrator was biased.—
Steve Maugeri,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Appeals from Doncic and Cunningham were successful, but Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards was denied by an independent arbitrator, the NBA and the NBPA announced.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arbiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbiter. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
