arbitrament
Americannoun
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the act of arbitrating; arbitration.
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the decision or sentence pronounced by an arbiter.
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the power of absolute and final decision.
noun
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the decision or award made by an arbitrator upon a disputed matter
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the power or authority to pronounce such a decision
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another word for arbitration
Usage
What does arbitrament mean? Arbitrament most generally refers to the power or authority to decide something with finality. This sense of the word is often used in phrases like arbitrament of war, arbitrament of force, and arbitrament of violence—meaning that force ultimately ends up deciding a winner after or in place of other courses of action. Arbitrament is also a less common word for arbitration—the process in which two parties in a dispute use an independent, impartial third party (called an arbitrator) to settle the dispute, often by making a decision that they both agree to. The term arbitration is especially used in the context of negotiations between businesses and labor unions. This process can be called arbitrament, but it is not commonly used this way. Arbitrament can also refer to the final decision made by the arbitrator. Example: We must work toward a society in which the arbitrament of force is fully replaced with the arbitrament of the legal system.
Etymology
Origin of arbitrament
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin arbitrāmentum, equivalent to Latin arbitrā(rī) “to decide, judge” + -mentum noun suffix; replacing Middle English arbitrement, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin; see arbitrate, -ment
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.
Every possible means consistent with Divine law and human dignity must be employed ... to avoid the final arbitrament of nuclear warfare.
From Time Magazine Archive
We had the right as sovereign States to submit to the arbitrament of war.
From The Scrap Book, Volume 1, No. 6 August 1906 by Various
It was inevitable that Carver should undervalue moral suasion; a military man, he recognized only the arbitrament of brute force.
From The Argus Pheasant by Beecham, John Charles
She had decided upon nothing,—leaving in fact the arbitrament of her faith in the hands of the man who had now come to see her.
From Lady Anna by Trollope, Anthony
And the arbitrament of war, and war’s desolation, is a foregone conclusion.
From A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital by Jones, John Beauchamp
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.
