adjourn

[ uh-jurn ]

verb (used with object)

1. to suspend the meeting of (a club, legislature, committee, etc.) to a future time, another place, or indefinitely:

   At this point in the trial, the judge adjourned the court session so the defense could access and review the test results.

2. to defer or postpone to a later time:

   Too many board members would have been absent, so the chair adjourned the meeting to next Monday.

3. to defer or postpone (a matter) to a future meeting of the same body, or to a future time, specified or not specified:

   We will adjourn discussion of point 5.2 to our April meeting.

verb (used without object)

1. to postpone, suspend, or transfer proceedings.
2. to go to another place:

   After dinner the ladies adjourned to the parlor.

adjourn

/ əˈdʒɜːn /

verb

1. intr (of a court, etc) to close at the end of a session
2. to postpone or be postponed, esp temporarily or to another place
3. tr to put off (a problem, discussion, etc) for later consideration; defer
4. informal.
   intr
   1. to move elsewhere

      let's adjourn to the kitchen

   2. to stop work

Derived Forms

• adˈjournment, noun

Other Words From

• pre·ad·journ verb
• re·ad·journ verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of adjourn¹

1300–50; Middle English ajo ( u ) rnen < Middle French ajo ( u ) rner, equivalent to a- ad- + jorn- < Latin diurnus daily; journal, journey

Word History and Origins

Origin of adjourn¹

C14: from Old French ajourner to defer to an arranged day, from a- to + jour day, from Late Latin diurnum, from Latin diurnus daily, from diēs day

Example Sentences

Before adjourning, the outgoing members got through the consent agenda as well as items certifying the election results and mid-year capital improvement project budget adjustments, said Dave Rolland, the City Council communications director.

From Voice of San Diego

As the Senate adjourned Monday for a pre-election break, senators left the Capitol—very likely taking any hopes of an imminent stimulus agreement with them.

From Fortune

Results of the investigation were not ready for lawmakers before the Legislature adjourned in March due to the coronavirus.

From ProPublica

It comes with the House days away from adjourning through the election, and with the two sides still at odds on key issues including aid to cities and states, liability protections for businesses, and the overall cost of the bill.

From Washington Post

Congress is supposed to adjourn at the end of next week through the election, although lawmakers could be called back to vote on a deal.

From Washington Post

[H]e may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper.

From The Daily Beast

Boehner turned the vote to adjourn into a proxy battle over the tax cuts, and Speaker Pelosi won by a mere 210 votes to 209.

From The Daily Beast

The thought of making anything good enough to sell was inspiring, and they worked with a will till it was time to adjourn.

From Project Gutenberg

Now, without further comment, I move that this Congress adjourn sine die.

From Project Gutenberg

Now, I am going to propose that when you adjourn, it be to meet at Court Square, to-morrow morning at nine o'clock.

From Project Gutenberg

I move that the Conference adjourn until half-past seven o'clock this evening.

From Project Gutenberg

The motion to adjourn was agreed to; ayes 17, noes 3, and the Conference adjourned.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• defer
• delay
• discontinue
• postpone
• put off
• recess
• shelve
• suspend