arbiter
noun
Did you know?
Are arbiter and arbitration arbitrary?
A large portion of the words we use today come from Latin roots. Many of these words retain a meaning that is closely related to their Latin ancestor, although sometimes they will drift a considerable distance from their roots (sinister, for instance, had the meaning of “on the left side” in Latin, but also meant “unlucky, inauspicious”). In some instances, a single Latin word will give rise to multiple words in English, some of which have strayed in meaning, and others which have not.
An example of this may be found in our word arbiter. We trace it to the Latin root with the same spelling, arbiter, meaning “eyewitness, onlooker, person appointed to settle a dispute.” A number of English words stem from the Latin arbiter, many of which have to do with judging or being a judge. An arbiter is a judge, and arbitration is the act of judging, or serving as an arbiter. Yet the most common meaning of arbitrary is “existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance or as a capricious and unreasonable act of will,” which seems to be quite a bit different in meaning from the other two words. Arbitrary does indeed come from the same Latin root, and its oldest meaning in English was “depending on choice or discretion particularly regarding the decision of a judge or a tribunal.” But over time it developed additional senses that are somewhat removed from that initial meaning.
Examples of arbiter in a Sentence
Kanya Kanchana, Longreads, 21 Mar. 2024
She has been known as the grande dame and social arbiter of the show, living in a Potomac-area mansion with her husband.
—Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024
Adequate government money must be budgeted for the FAA to rise to its actual role as a watchdog and arbiter of quality and safety in air travel as the industry seeks to rebuild itself and of course, hire train and properly compensate the right number of controllers.
—Peter Georgescu, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Bartholomew recited a list of grievances, all but accusing Kirill of trying to displace him and become the new arbiter of the Orthodox faith.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
The panel of venture capitalists, the arbiters of my fate, gazed back at me with disapproval in their eyes.
—Paul Moutzouris, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
And, in any case, the agency is not necessarily the final arbiter of what shape a pyramid can take.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024
The five-member board (currently filled by three Democrats and one Republican, with one vacant seat), which is the final arbiter in cases, is appointed by the president.
—Billy Witz, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024
These behind-the-lens creatives are a crucial link between celebrity and civilian; their work serving as an arbiter of trends and beauty and aspiration in the moment, as well as visual time capsules for years to come.
—Marie Lodi, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arbiter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near arbiter
Cite this Entry
“Arbiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arbiter. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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arbiter
noun
Legal Definition
arbiter
noun
Latin, onlooker, arbitrator
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