arbitrate

verb

ar·​bi·​trate ˈär-bə-ˌtrāt How to pronounce arbitrate (audio)
arbitrated; arbitrating

transitive verb

1
: to act as arbiter upon (a disputed question) : to settle (a dispute between two people or groups) after hearing the arguments and opinions of both
She arbitrated the dispute.
2
: to submit or refer for decision to an arbiter
agreed to arbitrate their differences
3
archaic : decide, determine

intransitive verb

: to act as arbiter
The council will arbitrate among the interest groups.
arbitrative adjective

Examples of arbitrate in a Sentence

The council will arbitrate among the interest groups. arbitrate between managers and staff She will arbitrate the dispute.
Recent Examples on the Web The Biden administration’s new progress report on the process for arbitrating disagreements between insurance companies and providers shows that in over 80% of payment disputes, the arbiter settled on an amount that was more than the median in-network rate for that service, Tara Bannow reports. Sarah Owermohle, STAT, 20 Feb. 2024 On July 12, the Finance Sector Union, which represents professionals in the finance and banking sector in Australia, asked the Fair Work Commission—a tribunal that arbitrates labor disputes in Australia—to help stop an in-person work mandate from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA). Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2023 Freed from the burden of arbitrating truth, its records and lists exhibit gratuitous order — the essence of beauty. Jonathan Malesic, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2023 But Jean-Bart vowed to fight, appealing the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Swiss panel that arbitrates disputes in global sports. Molly Hensley-Clancy, Anchorage Daily News, 28 July 2023 The appellate courts held they were required to arbitrate their individual PAGA claims, but also were allowed to continue the PAGA claims of other aggrieved employees in court. Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2023 The high court further ruled, however, that an employer could not require an employee to arbitrate or relinquish altogether PAGA claims the employee asserted as a representative of other aggrieved employees. Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2023 Realizing the expense required for Twitter to arbitrate the claims, as required by its employment agreements, the company is now refusing to do so, Liss-Riordan said. Joel Rosenblatt, Fortune, 3 July 2023 Any such controversy or claim shall be arbitrated on an individual basis, and shall not be consolidated in any arbitration with any claim or controversy of any other party. TIME.com, 3 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arbitrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin arbitrātus, past participle of arbitrārī "to consider, judge, decide," verbal derivative of arbitr-, arbiter "onlooker, arbiter"

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of arbitrate was in 1588

Dictionary Entries Near arbitrate

Cite this Entry

“Arbitrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arbitrate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

arbitrate

verb
ar·​bi·​trate ˈär-bə-ˌtrāt How to pronounce arbitrate (audio)
arbitrated; arbitrating
1
: to settle a disagreement after hearing the arguments of both sides
arbitrate between management and labor
2
: to refer a dispute to others for settlement : submit to arbitration

Legal Definition

arbitrate

verb
ar·​bi·​trate ˈär-bə-ˌtrāt How to pronounce arbitrate (audio)
arbitrated; arbitrating

transitive verb

1
: to act as arbitrator for
2
: to bring to arbitration for settlement
agreed to arbitrate their dispute

intransitive verb

: to act as arbitrator
arbitrative adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on arbitrate

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