arbitrate
UK[ˈɑːbɪtreɪt]US[ˈɑːrbɪtreɪt]
v
to officially settle an argument or a disagreement between two people or groups
v
to officially judge or decide an argument or a disagreement
Morpheme Breakdown
arbit
rate
arbit
judge
rate
verb suffix
Etymology
The word 'arbitrate' originates from the Latin verb arbitrari, meaning 'to give a decision' or 'to be a witness', which itself derives from arbiter, signifying a judge or umpire. This Latin root is thought to be composed of ad- ('to') and baetere (an old form related to 'to come'), suggesting the concept of one who 'comes to' observe and decide. The suffix '-ate' was adopted into English from the Latin participial ending -atus, commonly used to form verbs indicating the performance of an action. Thus, the literal construction 'to judge' evolved into the modern legal and diplomatic sense of authoritatively settling a dispute between parties.
Analysis
Structure: arbit (judge) + rate (verb suffix)
arbit (from Latin arbiter, meaning 'judge, umpire'); rate (a verb-forming suffix from Latin -atus, indicating action or process)
Examples
An independent expert was called in to arbitrate the labor dispute.
The committee will arbitrate between the two competing claims.
Their contract includes a clause that any disagreement will be arbitrated rather than going to court.