1
as in judges
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy
since they seemed to be in a hopeless stalemate, both labor and management agreed to use an independent adjudicator to decide the terms of the contract
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in courts
a public official having authority to decide questions of law
the appellate court refused to hear the case, thus allowing the judgment of previous adjudicators to stand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adjudicators
Thomas Bradford is one of 81 adjudicators the company employs across six continents.
—
Cecilia Vega, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Lahoud said the adjudicators follow a flowchart — and if the applicant meets the minimum criteria, the person can expect an approval notice to arrive within days.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
The Justice Department’s defense primarily rests on the notion that agency adjudicators like the Merit Systems Protection Board — not federal courts — must decide the disputes.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 15 Oct. 2025
In recent months, EOIR leadership has criticized judges for not efficiently managing their caseloads, and has encouraged adjudicators to streamline asylum reviews and give oral, as opposed to written, decisions on case dismissals.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 23 Sep. 2025
Edlow told The Associated Press that the guidance was intended to identify support for terrorist ideologies—not to penalize ordinary political criticism—when adjudicators evaluated applicants for green cards and other benefits.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
This led to many longtime employees of companies leaving the United States when USCIS adjudicators rejected their H-1B applications.
—Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Under the plans, an independent body of adjudicators would be created to handle asylum appeals and reduce the backlog of 106,000 cases, including 51,000 appeals with average wait times exceeding a year.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Similarly, the program still has eight adjudicators, known as special masters, to review all cases before the government.
—Matthew Perrone, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
Cecilia Vega, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Lahoud said the adjudicators follow a flowchart — and if the applicant meets the minimum criteria, the person can expect an approval notice to arrive within days.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
The Justice Department’s defense primarily rests on the notion that agency adjudicators like the Merit Systems Protection Board — not federal courts — must decide the disputes.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 15 Oct. 2025
In recent months, EOIR leadership has criticized judges for not efficiently managing their caseloads, and has encouraged adjudicators to streamline asylum reviews and give oral, as opposed to written, decisions on case dismissals.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 23 Sep. 2025
Edlow told The Associated Press that the guidance was intended to identify support for terrorist ideologies—not to penalize ordinary political criticism—when adjudicators evaluated applicants for green cards and other benefits.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
This led to many longtime employees of companies leaving the United States when USCIS adjudicators rejected their H-1B applications.
—Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Under the plans, an independent body of adjudicators would be created to handle asylum appeals and reduce the backlog of 106,000 cases, including 51,000 appeals with average wait times exceeding a year.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Similarly, the program still has eight adjudicators, known as special masters, to review all cases before the government.
—Matthew Perrone, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adjudicators
Noun
-
Clegg said judges got creative to attract attorneys.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Lai also used Apple Daily to call for international sanctions against China and Hong Kong, the judges concluded.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Andrii Yakovliev, a defense counsel and expert on international humanitarian and criminal law at the Media Initiative for Human Rights, a Ukrainian NGO, told CNN that Ukraine ensures the conditions are in place for a fair trial, and that, in general, the country’s courts respect due process.—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
In Wyoming, the question of corner crossing dragged through the courts for years.—
Karlee Provenza,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Smith is one of only a handful of Black referees in NFL history to lead a Super Bowl crew.—
Terrance Friday,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
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The boys’ team helped set up the gym, ran score tables, assisted referees, reset the mats for title matches, and sat mat-side cheering throughout the finals.—
Stephanie Ogilvie,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Ivy League for umpires This school prepared more umpires for professional baseball than all the other schools combined.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
The hardest part of being a catcher is adjusting to the different pitchers and different umpires.—
Rick Cantu,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adjudicators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adjudicators. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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