umpire
Americannoun
-
umpires
plural
-
a person selected to rule on the plays in a game.
- Synonyms:
- arbitrator, arbiter, referee
-
one selected to settle disputes about the application of settled rules or usages; a person agreed on by disputing parties to arbitrate their differences.
verb (used with object)
-
umpires,
present (3rd person singular)
-
umpired,
past participle, past
-
umpiring
present participle
-
to act as umpire in (a game).
-
to decide or settle (a controversy, dispute, or the like) as umpire; arbitrate.
verb (used without object)
-
umpires,
present (3rd person singular)
-
umpired,
past participle, past
-
umpiring
present participle
noun
-
an official who rules on the playing of a game, as in cricket or baseball
-
a person who rules on or judges disputes between contesting parties
verb
Usage
What does umpire mean? An umpire is a kind of referee who enforces the rules during certain sports, such as baseball, softball, and cricket. In higher levels of baseball and softball, there are often multiple umpires on the field. They are primarily responsible for determining whether base runners are “safe” or “out.” The most important one is the home plate umpire, who determines whether each pitch is a “ball” or a “strike.”Umpire is also sometimes used to refer to someone who acts as an impartial judge during some kind of conflict, such as two friends having an argument, as in Jane and Mike were losing their tempers with each other at the meeting so I had to step in and act as an umpire until they calmed down. Less commonly, umpire can be used as a verb meaning to perform the duties of an umpire, as in I signed up to umpire my daughter’s softball games. An informal short form of umpire is ump, which can also be used as both a noun and a verb. It’s especially used as an informal way to address an umpire, as in Hey, ump, that was way out of the strike zone!Example: The umpire called him out, but I’m pretty sure he was safe.
Synonym Usage
See judge.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
umpiresimple
-
umpiressimple
-
have umpiredperfect
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has umpiredperfect
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am umpiringprogressive
-
are umpiringprogressive
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is umpiringprogressive
-
have been umpiringperfect progressive
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has been umpiringperfect progressive
Past
-
umpiredsimple
-
had umpiredperfect
-
was umpiringprogressive
-
were umpiringprogressive
-
had been umpiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of umpire
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English umpere, variant of noumpere ( a noumpere taken as an oumpere; cf. adder 1, apron), from Old French nomper, nonper “arbiter,” i.e., “one not equal.” See non-, peer 2
Explanation
An umpire is a kind of referee, an official whose job on the baseball or softball field is enforcing the rules of the game. You might hear an umpire yell, "Strike three! You're out!" When a conflict comes up during play, it's the umpire who mediates and ultimately makes an official decision. Umpire is also a verb, meaning to act as an umpire. The word comes from the Old French nonper or "odd number," which refers to a third person helping two others settle their differences.
Vocabulary lists containing umpire
The Smashing Lexicon of Tennis
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!
April Vocabulary Words
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We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
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:
“It’s like trying to get on the Supreme Court,” Randy said of his brother’s umpire journey.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
Cardellini: That’s what Steve told me when I asked, “How’d you land on the umpire thing?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
The central bank isn’t the umpire, it is the most important player in the game.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Following an appeal to the umpire, the wicket was given.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
But with only one umpire, it would have taken all night for each of the boys to play, so the coaches decided to modify the scoring.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
“There were umpires in the Valley who trembled at the thought of being behind home plate with McDowell on the mound,” I wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
Older umpires learned their craft is an entirely different era, one where the very concept of the “strike zone” was completely different.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
“There’s a dearth of umpires in general. And it would be terrible if a team wasn’t able to play because there weren’t enough umpires.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
There were no umpires and tournaments were run by people who worked in rehab: "They weren't tennis people so nobody even really knew the rules."
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Instead of returning the salute, Bull stopped the car completely and stared with visible truculence at the guard who held his salute as rigidly as some umpires who call strikes on batters with exaggerated formality.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
He also umpired charity matches for Queen Elizabeth II, whom he said he met 29 times.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2025
Interested in majoring in sports medicine or exercise science, Kennedy is on Santa Margarita’s Varsity Leadership Counsel and has umpired and worked with young players on their mechanics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2025
Tichenor umpired his first big league game in 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2012.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 29, 2023
West called his first big league game in 1976 and broke Bill Klem’s record for most games umpired when he worked his 5,376th regular-season game last May.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 5, 2021
Arthur Waldron, who umpired for Bridport, sat beside Raymond at lunch and condoled with him, because the younger, who had gone in second wicket down, had played himself in very carefully before the interval.
From The Spinners by Eden Phillpotts
Both eventually made it big in the big leagues, Jim still umpiring after 27 years and Randy pitching for 16 years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
The umpiring ranks are about to get younger—and, as far as it pertains to ABS, more accurate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
The French Open added: "The tournament strongly condemns all sexist remarks, regardless of who makes them, and offers its support to the match umpire and, more broadly, to all the tournament's umpiring officials."
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
Pawol, 48, began umpiring in high school after a strong playing career as a catcher at Hofstra University.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2025
"I'm umpiring in this match, and I see no reason for leaving it in the middle."
From The Simpkins Plot by George A. Birmingham
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.
