Word
adjournment
Phoneticsad·journ·ment, stress on the second syllable
US/əˈdʒɝnmənt/
UK/ɐdʒˈɜːnmənt/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a pause or break in a meeting, court case, or parliament session. People plan to continue later.
n. a temporary suspension or postponement of formal proceedings such as a trial, meeting, or legislative session, with the intention to resume later.
Examples
“The judge calls for an adjournment until tomorrow morning.”
“After hours of debate, the chair announces an adjournment so members can review the new proposal overnight.”
“The defence requested a brief adjournment to consult new evidence, a delay the court granted reluctantly to preserve fairness without derailing the trial schedule.”
Examples
simple
“The judge calls for an adjournment until tomorrow morning.”
contextual
“After hours of debate, the chair announces an adjournment so members can review the new proposal overnight.”
complex
“The defence requested a brief adjournment to consult new evidence, a delay the court granted reluctantly to preserve fairness without derailing the trial schedule.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “adjournment” in context.
Verb
01. adjournment ends
“When the adjournment ends, the court will hear the final witness.”
noun + verb
02. adjournment lasts
“The adjournment lasted only twenty minutes before debate resumed.”
noun + verb
03. grant adjournment
“The judge granted an adjournment until the following morning.”
verb + noun
04. oppose adjournment
“The prosecution opposed any adjournment and urged the trial to continue.”
verb + noun
Adjective
05. brief adjournment
“The judge called a brief adjournment for lunch before hearing the next witness.”
adj + noun
06. early adjournment
“Parliament agreed to an early adjournment ahead of the national holiday.”
adj + noun
07. indefinite adjournment
“The committee voted for indefinite adjournment after failing to reach consensus.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. motion for adjournment
“The opposition tabled a motion for adjournment after the heated debate.”
noun + prep + noun
09. period of adjournment
“During the period of adjournment, no new motions can be introduced.”
noun + prep + noun
10. grant a temporary adjournment
“The court granted a temporary adjournment until new evidence was available.”
11. move for an adjournment
“The MP moved for an adjournment to delay the final vote.”
12. oppose any further adjournment
“The judge opposed any further adjournment and ordered the case to proceed.”
Usage
Often follows verbs such as 'call for', 'move for', or 'grant'; typically followed by 'until' or 'to' plus a time.
Real-World Examples
“He was not at the postponed hearing in April either, nor the next one in May, although his solicitor attended and asked for another adjournment.” Etymology
From Middle English ajournement, from Old French ajornement, equivalent to adjourn + -ment.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/adjournment