Adjourn - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT adjourn /əˈdʒʌrn/ /əˈdʒʌn/ IPA guide

Other forms: adjourned; adjourning; adjourns

To adjourn is to close a session of something, like at court. People also adjourn when they go to bed.

When something is adjourned, it's over. This word comes up most often in court. Lawyers and citizens don't have the power to adjourn — to call a recess in the proceedings. Only a judge can adjourn the court. This can also be used in any situation where someone is withdrawing from somewhere, or retiring for awhile. "I must adjourn!" is a fancy way of saying "I'm out of here! I need to get some sleep. See you tomorrow."

Definitions of adjourn

verb close at the end of a session “The court adjourned” synonyms: break up, recess see moresee less type of: cease, end, finish, stop, terminate have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical
verb break from a meeting or gathering “We adjourned for lunch” synonyms: retire, withdraw seclude, sequester, sequestrate, withdraw keep away from others see moresee less types: prorogue adjourn by royal prerogative; without dissolving the legislative body type of: close, close down, close up, fold, shut down cease to operate or cause to cease operating

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Vocabulary lists containing adjourn

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Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States

The Constitution is, quite simply, the basis of all American democracy. The document details what the branches of government must do, are entitled to do, and what they cannot do. Abraham Lincoln said: "Don't interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties." In addition to cherishing the Constitution as the tangible basis of all our rights and laws, there is always a lot of controversy in political circles about what is and isn't "constitutional," so it is important to be familiar with what the actual document says to be able to evaluate those claims. The entire document can be read here.

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