Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

adjourn

American  
[uh-jurn] / əˈdʒɜrn /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • adjournment noun
  • preadjourn verb
  • readjourn verb

Etymology

Origin of adjourn

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

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.

He faced court earlier this week - where he is understood to have requested voluntary removal from Australia - with the case adjourned until February.

From BBC

The case has been adjourned until 20 January.

From BBC

A short hearing in the case against Mr Williams was adjourned at Cambridge Crown Court earlier this month and proceedings are due to resume on 28 January 2026.

From BBC

The case has been adjourned until April 2026, the court added.

From BBC

The short hearing was adjourned at Cambridge Crown Court and proceedings are due to resume on 28 January.

From BBC