adjourn

[ uh-jurn ]

verb (used with object)

1. to suspend the meeting of (a club, legislature, committee, etc.) to a future time, another place, or indefinitely:

   At this point in the trial, the judge adjourned the court session so the defense could access and review the test results.

2. to defer or postpone to a later time:

   Too many board members would have been absent, so the chair adjourned the meeting to next Monday.

3. to defer or postpone (a matter) to a future meeting of the same body, or to a future time, specified or not specified:

   We will adjourn discussion of point 5.2 to our April meeting.

verb (used without object)

1. to postpone, suspend, or transfer proceedings.
2. to go to another place:

   After dinner the ladies adjourned to the parlor.

adjourn

/ əˈdʒɜːn /

verb

1. intr (of a court, etc) to close at the end of a session
2. to postpone or be postponed, esp temporarily or to another place
3. tr to put off (a problem, discussion, etc) for later consideration; defer
4. informal.
   intr
   1. to move elsewhere

      let's adjourn to the kitchen

   2. to stop work

Derived Forms

• adˈjournment, noun

Other Words From

• pre·ad·journ verb
• re·ad·journ verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of adjourn¹

1300–50; Middle English ajo ( u ) rnen < Middle French ajo ( u ) rner, equivalent to a- ad- + jorn- < Latin diurnus daily; journal, journey

Word History and Origins

Origin of adjourn¹

C14: from Old French ajourner to defer to an arranged day, from a- to + jour day, from Late Latin diurnum, from Latin diurnus daily, from diēs day

Example Sentences

This also marks the second special session since lawmakers adjourned for the year at the end of August.

From Los Angeles Times

An inquest into Ms Webbs' death was opened and adjourned at Gloucestershire Coroner's Court last month.

From BBC

The hearing was adjourned for a full inquest to be held on 17 April next year.

From BBC

As she gave evidence on Wednesday, Ms Hand was visibly shaking and distressed and the court had to be adjourned repeatedly so she could have a break.

From BBC

Judge Daniel Williams adjourned the case to November 28 for a pre-sentence report to be written and told Sisman: "The only sentence I can pass will be one of life imprisonment."

From BBC

Related Words

• defer
• delay
• discontinue
• postpone
• put off
• recess
• shelve
• suspend