adjourned
B2Formal
Definition
Meaning
Suspended or postponed to a later time, date, or place, typically referring to a meeting, trial, or debate.
Having formally ended a session or gathering with the intention of resuming it later. It can also imply temporarily ceasing an activity or discussion.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used for formal, scheduled gatherings (courts, committees, meetings). Rarely used for casual postponements. Past participle form is most common.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is nearly identical. Minor differences in collocating institutions (e.g., Parliament vs. Congress).
Connotations
Strongly implies an official, procedural action.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in American English due to common use in judicial and congressional contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[subject] adjourned [object] until [time][object] was adjourned by [subject] for [reason]The [meeting] is adjourned.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “adjourned to the pub (BrE, informal)”
- “adjourned sine die (legal/lat., without a day set to resume)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in formal meetings: 'The board meeting was adjourned until next quarter.'
Academic
Used for conferences or seminars: 'The symposium adjourned for lunch.'
Everyday
Rare. Humorous extension: 'Let's adjourn this chat to the kitchen.'
Technical
Core use in legal and parliamentary procedure. 'The judge adjourned the case.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The MP moved that the House be adjourned.
- The inquest was adjourned pending further evidence.
American English
- The judge adjourned the trial for a week.
- Congress adjourned for the summer recess.
adverb
British English
- No standard adverbial use.
American English
- No standard adverbial use.
adjective
British English
- The adjourned debate will resume on Tuesday.
- We reconvened in the adjourned meeting room.
American English
- The adjourned hearing is set for November 5th.
- They reviewed the notes from the adjourned session.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The meeting finished. (Simpler alternative)
- The class ended. (Simpler alternative)
- The meeting was adjourned until 3 PM.
- The game was adjourned because of rain.
- After three hours of debate, the committee adjourned without reaching a decision.
- The court case was adjourned to allow the defendant to find new evidence.
- Parliament was adjourned following the successful passage of the bill, with proceedings set to recommence after the party conferences.
- The arbitration panel adjourned the hearings sine die, creating uncertainty for all parties involved.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a judge saying, 'The court is now AD-JOURNEYED,' sending everyone on a journey home until the next session.
Conceptual Metaphor
PROCEDURE IS TRAVEL (adjourn literally means 'to another day', implying movement through time).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not 'отложенный' (postponed) in all contexts. More specific to official sessions. Does not mean 'закрытый' (closed/ended), as it implies continuation. 'перенесённый' can be misleading for casual events.
Common Mistakes
- Using for informal plans ('Let's adjourn our coffee to tomorrow' is wrong). Confusing with 'adjournment' (noun). Overuse where 'postponed' or 'stopped' would suffice.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'adjourned' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Adjourned' specifically refers to suspending a formal, ongoing session (meeting, trial) with plans to resume. 'Postponed' is more general, meaning to delay any planned event to a later time.
No. It always carries the implication of a temporary suspension, even if the future date is not specified. For a permanent end, terms like 'closed', 'concluded', or 'terminated' are used.
No. While common as a past participle ('The meeting was adjourned'), it is also used as a simple past verb ('They adjourned the meeting') and attributively as an adjective ('the adjourned meeting').
It is a Latin legal/parliamentary term meaning 'without day'. It means a session is adjourned indefinitely, with no specific date set for resumption, often implying it may not reconvene.