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
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
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Now, Rider, 19, is applying to colleges and working as a referee.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
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Staffers maintain that recruits have actually manipulated highlights for years, before AI, and there are tells, such as watching to see if the referees or people in the stands are sped up.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
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The Hornets were originally part of the suit but a judge dropped them from it.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 May 2026
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In 2023, a federal judge found that Georgia’s congressional and legislative maps illegally diluted Black voting strength and ordered lawmakers to draw additional majority-Black districts.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
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If catchers, pitchers, or hitters believed an umpire missed a call, they were suddenly allowed to challenge it.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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In the first inning on April 18, Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo challenged an 0-1 splitter that the umpire ruled a ball.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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However, federal law requires that judges review arbitration awards with a high degree of deference and should only vacate them if there’s an extraordinary defect, such as the award was procured by fraud or the arbitrator failed to consider relevant evidence or follow basic legal principles.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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Having a neutral arbitrator hear teacher termination cases, like many public employees, would ensure fairness when a teacher’s career is on the line.—
Rep. Nick Menapace,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arbiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbiter. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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