arbiter
Americannoun
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a person empowered to decide matters at issue; judge; umpire.
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a person who has the sole or absolute power of judging or determining.
noun
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a person empowered to judge in a dispute; referee; arbitrator
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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
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 19–24
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
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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.
On its official website, the court advertises itself to visitors as the “final arbiter of the law,” and thus the Constitution’s “guardian and interpreter.”
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
Never mind that soccer’s world governing body fiercely protects its role as the final arbiter of what happens within the white lines of the pitch, or routinely metes out draconian punishment for political interference.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
While the court was the ultimate arbiter, judges had to recognise that ministers must have a wide margin within which to act in this complex field.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
"He does not appear to have the ability to play the role of balancer-in-chief and final arbiter of the system to the extent that his father did."
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
Both parties later swore to terms of peace set by their arbiter, Athena, daughter of Zeus who bears the stormcloud as a shield— though still she kept the form and voice of Mentor.
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
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.
