adjourn

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "adjourn" is correct and usable in written English.
This word means to end or suspend an event for a period of time. For example, "The school board met to discuss the budget, but due to lack of agreement, it was decided to adjourn the meeting until the following week."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

That is because the constitution's adjournments clause mandates that neither chamber of Congress can adjourn without the other for more than three days.

The Economist

Amid the melee, Morsi and his colleagues rejected the authority of the court before the chaos forced the presiding judge to adjourn proceedings until 8 January.

The Guardian

Another possibility is that the foreign ministers fail and adjourn for a few days, perhaps regrouping after Easter, which would still give a few days before the US congress acts.

The Guardian

Under a compressed schedule by a House that is slated to adjourn on Thursday until after Section 215 expires, McConnell has to not only bring surveillance legislation to the floor, but also a highway funding bill and trade promotion authority before Congress goes on recess until the beginning of June.

The Guardian

"An agreement to produce a structured plan for bilateral talks on maritime delimitation was never part of the agreement to adjourn the matter," she said.

The Guardian

Eventually McConnell gave up and announced that the Senate would adjourn until 31 May, the day before the key provisions of the Patriot Act expire.

The Guardian

Given that Congress is scheduled to adjourn on October 9th, and that the House Judiciary Committee will want to do some investigating and witness-calling of its own, clearly no impeachment inquiry will be started until after the November elections.But what will Mr Clinton do with that time?

The Economist

IT IS one of the oddities of Britain's unwritten constitution that, when considering whether the country should send troops into battle, the House of Commons often ends up voting on the technical question of whether to adjourn.

The Economist

Dozens walked off the floor at one point, forcing the House to adjourn for the night.

The Economist

Leticia Van de Putte, a senator from San Antonio, moved to adjourn, which would have taken precedence over the motion Mr Dewhurst had chosen whimsically to consider.

The Economist

Instead of answering, Mr Dewhurst graciously offered to recognise her motion to adjourn, his inattention having rendered it tactically irrelevant.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "adjourn" in formal settings, such as legal proceedings or official meetings, when you want to temporarily suspend the activity with the intention of resuming it later.

Common error

Be careful not to confuse "adjourn", which means to postpone or suspend, with "adjourn to", which means to move to another place. For example, "The meeting adjourned" means it was postponed, while "The meeting adjourned to the bar" means they moved to the bar after the meeting.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "adjourn" is as an intransitive verb, indicating the act of ending or suspending a meeting, session, or trial. Ludwig examples showcase its usage in formal contexts, such as court proceedings or legislative sessions.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Encyclopedias

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Academia

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "adjourn" is a versatile verb that is used to describe the act of postponing or temporarily ending something like a meeting, session, or trial. As Ludwig AI highlights, it appears frequently in News & Media and Encyclopedia contexts. While it is mostly a formal word, it can also appear in neutral contexts when used to describe a motion during less formal meetings. A key writing tip is to avoid confusing it with "adjourn to", which means to move to another location. Related terms include "suspend proceedings", "recess the meeting", and "postpone the session".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

suspend proceedings

Implies a temporary halt to a formal process, similar to "adjourn", but focuses on the process itself.

recess the meeting

Specifically refers to a break during a meeting, a more specific context than "adjourn".

postpone the session

Highlights the act of delaying a session to a later time, emphasizing the rescheduling aspect.

defer the matter

Focuses on delaying a decision or action on a specific issue, rather than the entire meeting.

take a break

A more informal way to suggest a temporary pause, applicable in various situations.

call a halt

Suggests bringing something to a stop, whether temporarily or permanently.

put off until later

Emphasizes the act of delaying something to a future time, often in a less formal setting.

break off

Suggests an abrupt end or interruption, potentially temporary.

table the discussion

To postpone discussion of a topic indefinitely, often with the intent of never discussing it again.

hold over

Refers to delaying something for future consideration, often in a legal or legislative context.

FAQs

How to use "adjourn" in a sentence?

You can use "adjourn" to indicate the suspension of a meeting, trial, or session. For example, "The court will "adjourn" until tomorrow morning" or "The committee decided to "adjourn" the meeting due to lack of quorum".

What can I say instead of "adjourn"?

You can use alternatives like "suspend", "postpone", "recess", or "defer" depending on the context.

What is the difference between "adjourn" and "recess"?

"Adjourn" generally means to end or postpone a meeting or session, while "recess" specifically refers to a temporary break within a meeting or session. You might "adjourn" a trial until the next day, but recess a meeting for a lunch break.

Is it correct to say "adjourn to" a place?

Yes, "adjourn to" means to move to another place, especially after a meeting or formal event. For example, "After the conference, we will "adjourn to" the restaurant for dinner".