arbiter

American  

[ahr-bi-ter] / ˈɑr bɪ tər /

noun

1. a person empowered to decide matters at issue; judge; umpire.

2. a person who has the sole or absolute power of judging or determining.

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arbiter British  

/ ˈɑːbɪtə /

noun

1. a person empowered to judge in a dispute; referee; arbitrator

2. a person having complete control of something

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Other Word Forms

• superarbiter noun

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:

• arbiter vs. arbitrator

Example Sentences

Today, it is grounded in the language of human rights, with institutions such as the United Nations serving as its arbiters.

From The Wall Street Journal

It raises a profound question: can the state, especially when it is implicated in killing, be trusted as the arbiter of what should remain secret?

From BBC

So the key distinction is that there’s a neutral arbiter.

From Salon

It’s undeniably good that entertainment-industry decision makers are no longer all-powerful arbiters of mass culture.

From The Wall Street Journal

That means the VAR Darren England was the sole arbiter of whether not giving a penalty could be seen as a serious missed incident.

From BBC

Related Words

• arbitrator
• go-between
• mediator
• moderator
• referee