adjudication

American  

[uh-joo-di-key-shuhn] / əˌdʒu dɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act of adjudicating.

2. Law.

   1. the act of a court in making an order, judgment, or decree.

   2. a judicial decision or sentence.

   3. a court decree in bankruptcy.

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Other Word Forms

• nonadjudication noun
• readjudication noun

Etymology

Origin of adjudication

First recorded in 1685–95, adjudication is from the Late Latin word adjūdicātiōn- (stem of adjūdicātiō ). See adjudicate, -ion

Explanation

After a long court trial, the judge reviews all the evidence to come to a conclusion about a case and that process is called adjudication. Adjudication comes from the Old French ajugier meaning "to judge, pass judgment on." An adjudication results in a formal judgment or decision given by a court. Often these adjudications lead to the making of history, like the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka trial in which the process of adjudication resulted in a decision that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.

Example Sentences

The Tesla case also subtly revealed how certain corporate-governance ideas long debated in academic circles but rarely used in practice have begun to influence the Delaware courts’ adjudication.

From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026

That has never been part of our system of adjudication and litigation.

From Slate • Dec. 17, 2025

According to government disclosures and outside reporting, the administration is contemplating two major changes to disability standards, which it describes generally as “improvements to the disability adjudication process.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

Social Security Administration spokesman Barton Mackey said the agency is working on plans to “propose improvements to the disability adjudication process to ensure our disability program remains current and can be more efficiently administered.”

From Salon • Oct. 5, 2025

He developed superior centralized conflict resolution by expanding the adjudication of quarrels.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond