Sports Officiating Terms

verb to make a formal judgment or decision about a problem or disputed matter

• The judge will adjudicate on the matter tomorrow in court.
• I heard that the referee will adjudicate the game fairly.
• Let's let the boss adjudicate this dispute between us.
• It's up to you to adjudicate between your heart and your mind in this decision.

noun a person who has the power or authority to make decisions and judgements

verb none

adjective none

adverb none

pronoun none

preposition none

conjunction none

interjection none

article none

• The arbiter of the dispute was called in to make a final decision.
• My brother always acts as the arbiter when my friends and I can't agree on something.
• I don't want to be the arbiter of who gets the last slice of pizza.
• In literature, the weather is often used as an arbiter of the characters' emotions.

noun a decision made by someone in authority that rejects or disallows something

verb to reject or disallow by exercising one's authority

• The judge has the authority to overrule objections during the trial.
• I hope the teacher will overrule the homework assignment for tonight.
• I can't believe my mom overruled my plans to go out with friends.
• Sometimes our emotions can overrule our logical thinking.

noun a decision or statement made by a judge or court

adjective having the power to control or influence

• The judge issued a ruling in favor of the plaintiff.
• Did you hear about the court ruling on that case?
• The ruling totally threw everyone for a loop.
• His ruling on the matter was like a final stamp of approval.

noun a three-letter abbreviation commonly used to refer to a telecommunications company or a technology organization

• The TMO (Television Match Official) is responsible for reviewing and making decisions on certain incidents in rugby matches.
• The TMO is the guy who checks the video replays in rugby games.
• Yo, did you see that TMO call in the game? It was so controversial!
• Sometimes I wish life had a TMO to review and correct our decisions before they become permanent.