arbitration
gb/ˌɑɹbɪtɹˈeɪʃən/ us/ˌɑɹbɪtɹˈeɪʃən/
C1
English
~ 9300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
formal
C1
action
1
formal settling of a dispute
A formal way to end a disagreement, where both sides let a neutral person or group listen and then make a final decision, usually instead of using a court.
Usage pattern:
arbitration between [parties] over [issue]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "arbitration" with "arbitrage"; "arbitrage" is a financial term about buying and selling assets for profit, while "arbitration" is about resolving disputes. Another common mistake is treating "arbitration" as a verb (e.g., *"They arbitrated the problem"*); in everyday English, we normally use the noun and say "They used arbitration" or "They went to arbitration," while the verb is more often "to arbitrate" for the neutral person or body.
Synonyms
adjudication (More general term for a formal judgment or decision, often by a court or official body, while arbitration is usually outside the court system and based on prior agreement.)
|
mediation (Similar alternative dispute process, but a mediator helps the parties reach their own agreement instead of making a binding decision like in arbitration.)
Antonyms
litigation (Litigation involves taking a dispute to court, which is the main alternative and practical opposite of resolving it through arbitration.)
Collocations
binding arbitration
|go to arbitration
|arbitration clause
|arbitration panel
|submit a dispute to arbitration
|compulsory arbitration
Themes
law
|business
|work
Examples
- The company and the union agreed to resolve the pay dispute through arbitration.
- Under the contract, any disagreement must go to arbitration rather than to court.
- After months of failed negotiations, both sides submitted the case to international arbitration.
- The arbitration favored the employees, ordering the firm to reinstate all dismissed staff.
- An arbitration panel will hear evidence from both parties next month.
Learner examples
- The two companies used arbitration to end their fight.
- We signed a contract that sends all problems to arbitration.
- They chose arbitration instead of going to court.
- An independent lawyer will lead the arbitration.
- The workers won their case in arbitration.
Grammar
Dictionary form
arbitration
IPA
GB/ˌɑɹbɪtɹˈeɪʃən/
US/ˌɑɹbɪtɹˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
ar - bit - ra - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ra)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: arbitration
- Plural: arbitration, arbitrations
Word family
Forms
arbitrations
noun
Core family
arbitrate
verb C1
arbitrator
noun C1
Related words
arbiter
noun
arbitral
adjective
Advanced or less common
arbitrary
adjective C1
arbitrarily
adverb
Expressions
arbitration clause
1/ˌɑɹbɪtɹˈeɪʃən klˈɔz/
fixed phrase
formal
contract term requiring arbitration
A part of a contract that says any dispute must be solved by arbitration.
Examples
- The rental agreement contains an arbitration clause for all legal disputes.
- Because of the arbitration clause, customers cannot sue the company in court.
binding arbitration
2/bˈaɪndɪŋ ˌɑɹbɪtɹˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
arbitration with a mandatory decision
Arbitration where both sides must accept and follow the final decision.
Examples
- The employees agreed to binding arbitration to settle the dispute.
- Under the agreement, the matter will go to binding arbitration and the result cannot be appealed in court.
go to arbitration
3/ɡˈoʊ tə ˌɑɹbɪtɹˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
have a dispute decided by arbitration
To use arbitration to solve a disagreement instead of going to court.
Examples
- If we can’t reach an agreement, we may have to go to arbitration.
- The contract says that any dispute must go to arbitration first.
submit a dispute to arbitration
4/sʌbmˈɪt ə dɪspjˈut tə ˌɑɹbɪtɹˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
formally send dispute to arbitration
To officially send a disagreement to be decided by arbitration.
Examples
- Both parties agreed to submit the dispute to arbitration.
- The union threatened to submit the pay issue to arbitration if talks failed.
take [something] to arbitration
5/tˈeɪk sˈʌmθɪŋ tə ˌɑɹbɪtɹˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
send a dispute to arbitration
To decide that a particular disagreement will be solved using arbitration.
Examples
- They decided to take the contract dispute to arbitration.
- If the parties cannot agree, either side may take the matter to arbitration.