Adjudicatemake an official judgment in a dispute or case means to make an official decision about a disputea disagreement or argument between people or groups or case. In everyday use, it can also mean to settlebring an argument to an end by deciding it a disagreement or decide who wins an issue.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /əˈdʒuːdɪkeɪt/
Easy pronunciation: uh-JOO-di-kate (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress on the second syllable, JOO.
Use this pronunciation for the sense meaning to decide or settle something officially.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Adjudicate Meaning
to decide something officially or settle a dispute
Part of speech: verb
Definition: bring to an end; settle conclusively
Example: The committee was asked to adjudicate the dispute before the meeting ended.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- decide — A direct substitute when the meaning is to make a decision.
- resolve — Works when the emphasis is on settling a problem or disagreement.
- settle — Fits the sense of ending a dispute or reaching a final outcome.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Adjudicate
Meaning 2
to judge a case in court
Part of speech: verb
Definition: put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of
Example: The judge will adjudicate the case next week.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- judge — Works in the court sense of deciding a case.
- try — A legal synonym meaning to hear a case in court, though less common in everyday speech.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Adjudicate Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- decide
- resolve
- settle
judge a case in court
- judge
- try
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using adjudicate for any ordinary choice, when it usually suggests an official or authoritative decision.
- Confusing the dispute-settling sense with the court-trial sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does adjudicate mean?
Adjudicate means to make an official decision about something, especially a dispute or legal case.
What are adjudicate synonyms?
Common synonyms include decide, resolve, and settle in the dispute sense, and judge or try in the legal sense.
Is adjudicate a legal word?
Yes. It is often used in law, but it can also be used more broadly for formally settling a disagreement.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.