adjourn
Americanverb (used with object)
-
adjourns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
adjourned,
past participle, past
-
adjourning
present participle
-
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.
-
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.
-
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)
-
adjourns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
adjourned,
past participle, past
-
adjourning
present participle
-
to postpone, suspend, or transfer proceedings.
-
to go to another place.
After dinner the ladies adjourned to the parlor.
verb
-
(intr) (of a court, etc) to close at the end of a session
-
to postpone or be postponed, esp temporarily or to another place
-
(tr) to put off (a problem, discussion, etc) for later consideration; defer
-
informal (intr)
-
to move elsewhere
let's adjourn to the kitchen
-
to stop work
-
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
adjournsimple
-
adjournssimple
-
have adjournedperfect
-
has adjournedperfect
-
am adjourningprogressive
-
are adjourningprogressive
-
is adjourningprogressive
-
have been adjourningperfect progressive
-
has been adjourningperfect progressive
Past
-
adjournedsimple
-
had adjournedperfect
-
was adjourningprogressive
-
were adjourningprogressive
-
had been adjourningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of adjourn
1300–50; Middle English ajo ( u ) rnen < Middle French ajo ( u ) rner, equivalent to a- ad- + jorn- < Latin diurnus daily; see journal, journey
Explanation
To adjourn is to close a session of something, like at court. People also adjourn when they go to bed. When something is adjourned, it's over. This word comes up most often in court. Lawyers and citizens don't have the power to adjourn — to call a recess in the proceedings. Only a judge can adjourn the court. This can also be used in any situation where someone is withdrawing from somewhere, or retiring for awhile. "I must adjourn!" is a fancy way of saying "I'm out of here! I need to get some sleep. See you tomorrow."
Vocabulary lists containing adjourn
The Constitution of the United States
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!
Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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!
Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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.
See Examples For:
Both houses will adjourn for summer recess, the House on July 24 and the Senate on Aug. 10.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
In a dramatic conclusion on Friday, when countries should have been voting to approve the deal, Saudi Arabia tabled a motion to adjourn the talks for a year.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2025
Before we adjourn, a final question: What will next year’s healthcare roundtable focus on?
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2025
Gaetz resigned in the current session of Congress, which does not officially adjourn until Jan. 2, 2025.
From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2024
“Yes, yes, we will adjourn indoors. Make an announcement.”
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
According to the Associated Press, the deal outlines a plan for the Senate to vote to confirm 13 more district court judges before the upper chamber adjourns in December.
From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2024
Laws passed in a special session and signed by the governor typically take affect 90 days after the session adjourns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2024
When she returns empty-handed, the Senate adjourns, leaving hundreds of bills, stored in a growing stack of blue and yellow folders, untouched.
From New York Times ● Jun. 4, 2023
Mr. McCarthy wants to pass the bill before Congress adjourns at the end of April.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 19, 2023
As Coin adjourns the meeting, Haymitch asks her if he can speak to me privately.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
On Saturday, a High Court judge said a legal appeal by Orangemen following the secretary of state's decision was not an emergency case and adjourned the hearing until Monday.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Judge William Sullivan adjourned the hearing until November 2 and raised the possibility of setting a new trial date depending on how he rules on the defense's motion.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
Assistant coroner Jyoti Gill said it was a "very sad and tragic death" as she opened and adjourned the inquest in Ipswich.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
The meeting has to take place before 31 December as per reports, after the previous one was adjourned for lack of quorum, but no new date has yet been announced.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
The state had neglected to provide microphones and loudspeakers, and the court was adjourned for two hours while amplification was sought.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Following a lengthy recess, the hearing reconvened just before 01:00 on Friday and the coroner announced that he was adjourning proceedings because of the holiday arrangements.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
She said there was "reasonable cause to suspect" both deaths were unnatural and required a full inquest, adjourning proceedings for further inquiries.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
"By adjourning the sentencing until after that election... the Court would reduce, even if not eliminate, issues regarding the integrity of any future proceedings," reads the Aug. 14 letter.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2024
Plus, adjourning for snacks midgame and having to pause is just a bummer.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 10, 2023
Before adjourning, the chairman encouraged her to invite “the ladies of the land” to form their own anti-slavery societies.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
