What does adjudication mean?
Adjudication is the formal process by which a dispute or claim is settled through an authoritative decision, most commonly by a court, judge, or tribunal. The word refers both to the act of deciding — weighing evidence and applying rules — and to the resulting judgment itself. It appears frequently in legal contexts, as in 'the adjudication of claims,' but also extends to administrative bodies, regulatory agencies, and even competitions, where officials adjudicate entries or performances. Because it implies a binding, official resolution rather than informal compromise, adjudication carries a tone of finality and institutional authority. Derived from the Latin adjudicare, meaning 'to award judicially,' the term entered English in the seventeenth century and remains central to the vocabulary of law and governance. Related forms include the verb adjudicate, the noun adjudicator, and the adjectives adjudicative and adjudicatory, all sharing the same root.
A formal judgment or decision, especially one rendered by a court, judge, or other authorized body in a dispute or claim.
"The adjudication was announced after months of hearings."
Often used with prepositions such as 'of' (adjudication of claims) or 'by' (adjudication by the court).
The act or process of adjudicating; the procedure by which disputes are formally resolved.
"Construction contracts often include clauses requiring adjudication before litigation."
The plural typically refers to multiple separate judgments or decisions rather than repeated instances of the process.
"The appellate court issued dozens of adjudications last year."
Every time a judge bangs the gavel on a dispute, that's adjudication — a word whose Latin root literally means 'to hand over' the case to the law.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adjudication
Adjudication derives from the Latin adjudicare, meaning 'to award judicially' or 'to assign by decree,' formed from ad- ('toward') and judicare ('to judge'), itself rooted in jus ('law'). The noun entered English in the early seventeenth century via the verb adjudicate, which came from the past participle adjudicatus. It shares its ultimate root with words such as judge, judicial, and prejudice, all tracing back to the same Latin source for law and judgment.
Related word forms
How adjudication is actually used
Adjudication is a formal term used chiefly in legal, administrative, and sporting contexts (e.g., competition judging). It carries a neutral, procedural connotation and is rarely used in casual conversation.
Easily confused with adjudication
Arbitration is a private dispute-resolution process where parties agree to an arbitrator's decision, whereas adjudication is a formal determination made by a court or authorized authority.