arbiter
Americannoun
-
a person empowered to decide matters at issue; judge; umpire.
-
a person who has the sole or absolute power of judging or determining.
noun
-
a person empowered to judge in a dispute; referee; arbitrator
-
a person having complete control of something
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of arbiter
1350–1400; Middle English arbitour, arbitre < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin arbiter
Compare meaning
How does arbiter compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An arbiter is someone selected to judge and settle a dispute. When Doc and Grumpy disagreed over whose turn it was to stay late at the mine, they chose Snow White as an arbiter. Arbiter, from the Latin, means "one who goes somewhere as witness or judge.” The arbiter of a baseball game is called an umpire. In football and basketball, the arbiter is a referee. Arbitration is a type of conflict resolution in which a neutral person — the arbiter — hears the details of a dispute and makes a legally-binding decision about its resolution.
Vocabulary lists containing arbiter
Frankenstein
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 19–24
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The other notable character is the Arbiter, who functions primarily, and exhaustingly, as narrator, portrayed with brittle humor by Bryce Pinkham.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025
Arbiter added: “Buckingham Palace is not really the sort of place that anyone would want to live in, frankly. It’s enormous.”
From Washington Post • Apr. 29, 2023
“The only difficulty is with the global audience, who will believe the royal family are like that,” Arbiter added.
From New York Times • Dec. 2, 2022
“Don’t kill off the queen quite yet,” said Dickie Arbiter, 81, the queen’s press former secretary, who is now a prolific commentator on the royal family.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2022
This is the story of the Matron of Ephesus, told in a much more interesting manner by Petronius Arbiter.
From The Fables of Phædrus Literally translated into English prose with notes by Riley, Henry T. (Henry Thomas)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
