adjourn

verb

ad·​journ ə-ˈjərn 

adjourned; adjourning; adjourns

transitive verb

: to suspend indefinitely or until a later stated time

adjourn a meeting

Court is adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow.

intransitive verb

1

: to suspend a session indefinitely or to another time or place

Congress will not adjourn until the budget has been completed.

2

: to move to another place

We adjourned to the library.

Synonyms

• prorogate
• prorogue
• recess
• suspend

Examples of adjourn in a Sentence

The chairperson has adjourned the meeting.

Court is adjourned until 10:00 tomorrow.

The meeting adjourned at 4:00.

Congress will not adjourn until the budget has been completed.

Recent Examples on the Web

The 10-member committee met for two hours behind closed doors in November to vote on the issue, but the panel adjourned after failing to reach a consensus. —Cami Mondeaux, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Dec. 2024

White remains free on bail, with proceedings adjourned until tomorrow for arguments on a Crown application seeking his detention. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024

Trump also could go nuclear, testing the limits of his constitutional power by adjourning Congress himself. —Sophia Cai, Axios, 22 Nov. 2024

A number of press freedom advocates and media-rights organizations sent letters to the House and Senate in October urging Congress to pass the PRESS Act before Congress adjourns for the year. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ajornen, ajournen, adjornen "to set a day for reconvening (a court or assembly), suspend temporarily, postpone," borrowed from Anglo-French ajorner, ajourner, from a- (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + jorn, jor "day," going back to Late Latin diurnum (Latin, "daily ration, daybook"), from neuter of Latin diurnus "daily" — more at diurnal entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing adjourn

• adjourn to

Kids Definition

adjourn

verb

ad·​journ ə-ˈjərn 

1

: to bring or come to a close for a period of time

Congress adjourned

adjourn a meeting

2

: to move to another place

let us adjourn to the sitting room

adjournment

-mənt

noun

Legal Definition

adjourn

transitive verb

ad·​journ ə-ˈjərn 

: to put off further proceedings of either indefinitely or until a later stated time : close formally

adjourning the session

intransitive verb

: to suspend a session or meeting till another time or indefinitely : suspend formal business or procedure and disband

the congress will adjourn next month

adjournment noun