Adjudicated Meaning: Here’s What It Means and How to Use It

Adjudicate is quite an interesting word. It isn’t the most commonly used word, but it still has a valuable place in our language. Knowing this word would be a great way to increase your vocabulary for your writing or speech.

After reading this complete guide to the word adjudicated, you’ll have a full understanding of adjudicated, its definition, its etymology, and how to use it. So, let’s get started!

What Is the Definition of Adjudicated? 

The word adjudicated (əˈdʒudɪˌkeɪted) is the past tense of the word adjudicate. Adjudicate is a verb with only one definition:

• To be the judge in an argument, discussion, or competition; to be the official decision-maker about something

Eessentially, to adjudicate something is to be the judge presiding over it. You may decide who wins an argument, who wins a game or competition, or something else entirely. 

Most of the time, this word is used in a formal setting. It is probably most often used to describe an actual judge in court, carrying a very formal and professional connotation. 

Many time,s the word adjudicate is used to describe the actions of a judge in an academic, musical, or artistic competition. The word often implies that the process of judging is rigorous, specific, and requires some formal level of expertise on the subject. 

Occasionally, the word is also used in a more informal setting. Maybe somebody asks you to adjudicate a disagreement between friends. There is no implication about how formal or high level the matter at hand is in this setting. So, it’s important to look at the context of the word to understand any implied meanings. 

The word adjudicated has a few different forms: 

• The noun adjudication is the act of adjudicating. 
• Adjudicatory is the adjective form of the word. 
• The noun adjudicator refers to the person who is adjudicating. 
• The verb adjudge means pronouncing a formal decision made by an adjudicator. 

A Legal Process

The adjudication process is the legal process of controversies being resolved in court. This word can be used in small civil disputes or lawsuits with litigants and plaintiffs, in juvenile court, in the Supreme Court, or any court in between. 

The word is the verb that refers to the act of being a judge, making it a word that is most often used in a formal legal setting. 

Important Related Words

The word adjudicated finds its way into a few other important words, serving as the root for specific words that carry meanings a little more specific than the word adjudicated itself. 

One such word is “judicare.” Judicare is a common service provided that provides legal assistance to low-income citizens who find themselves in court. Through Judicare, people who normally couldn’t afford lawyers are given legal representation in court, usually free of charge. This service can be found in states like Wisconsin.

Another related word is “AdjudiCare.” This is a service provided that can resolve healthcare insurance claims for a company or individual quickly over the internet. 

What Is the Etymology of Adjudicated? 

Like many words in the English language, the word adjudicated has its roots in Latin. The word’s oldest Latin ancestor is the word adjudicare. This word means “the act of a judge granting or awarding something.” This word made its way into the French language in the 14th century in the form of the French ajugier.

The Latin adjudicare then evolved into the Latin word adjudicat- or adjūdicātus, which shares the same definition. Also, around this time in the 16th century, we see the word start to transfer into the English language in the English words adjudge and adjudication. 

After these words took hold, in the 18th century, the word gained another form, the English words adjudicate and adjudicated. This verb form took a while to finally assemble itself, but it is now one of the more common forms of the word. 

What Are Some Examples of Adjudicated in a Sentence?

By looking at some example sentences with the word “adjudicated” or “adjudicate,” we can better understand how the word is used and apply it to our speech well. Here are some examples:

I went to New York last week for my trial, and I was really impressed with the way the judge adjudicated the trial. She had complete control over her courtroom. 

Since 2008, the umpire in an MLB game could go watch instant replays of a play to help them adjudicate to the best of their ability. 

I asked Justine to adjudicate our impromptu debate because her calm personality and logical thinking would make her a great arbiter.

After weeks of long, difficult adjudicating, the judge ruled in favor of the respondent. 

If you want to adjudicate a trial properly, you need to make sure that you can maintain court order even if there are some wily, bold people in there. 

I don’t know if he’s fit to adjudicate this music competition. He doesn’t even have a bachelor’s degree in music. 

What Are the Synonyms of the Word Adjudicated? 

Here are some synonyms for the word adjudicated you might find in a thesaurus. 

• Arbitrate
• Determine
• Decide
• Mediate
• Settle
• adjudge

What Are Antonyms of the Word Adjudicated? 

Here are some antonyms for the word adjudicated. 

• Defer
• Ignore
• Hesitate
• Dodge

The Word Adjudicated 

Adjudicated is a word that helps us in our legal system. Now, you know the definition and history of the word, as well as how to use it confidently in your writing and general speech. 

If you need a refresher on the word adjudicated and its meaning, come back to this article for all the information you need. 

Sources:

Adjudicate | Cambridge English Dictionary 

Adjudicated Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com 

Wisconsin Judicare | Wisconsin Judicare Incorporated