Arbitrate
/ˈɑːr.bɪ.treɪt/noun
To settle a dispute or decide between opposing sides.
Did you know?It ultimately comes from Latin *arbiter*, a witness or judge who was expected to stand by and observe carefully before giving a decision.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂er-
“to fit together, join, or arrange”
Latin
Latin
arbiter
“a witness, observer, judge, or one who decides”
Late Latin
Latin
arbitrāri
“to judge, consider, or decide”
Old French
Old French
arbitrer
“to judge or settle a dispute”
14th Century
English
arbitren
“to act as a judge or mediator”
Modern English
English
arbitrate
“to settle a dispute by judgment or mediation”
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