# adjournment

/əˈdʒɝnmənt/ (US) · /ɐdʒˈɜːnmənt/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/adjournment
Updated: 2026-10-14

## Definition

a pause or break in a meeting, court case, or parliament session. People plan to continue later.

For teachers: 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.

## Usage notes

- Often follows verbs such as 'call for', 'move for', or 'grant'; typically followed by 'until' or 'to' plus a time.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.