To arbitrate is to act as a neutral third party who listens to both sides in a dispute and makes a decision to settle it.
From Latin "arbitrare" meaning "to judge" or "to give a decision," from "arbiter" (judge, witness). It keeps the core idea of someone trusted to decide between opposing sides.
Arbitration often replaces a courtroom, but the arbitrator’s decision can be just as binding. When you click “agree to terms,” you may be silently agreeing to let private arbitrators, not public judges, decide your future disputes.
Arbitration has historically been conducted by male‑dominated professional and legal bodies, reflecting broader exclusion of women from formal dispute resolution roles. This shaped whose interests and perspectives were represented in arbitral decisions.
Use the verb without gender assumptions about who arbitrates; if referring to specific arbitrators, use gender‑neutral plurals or specify gender only when relevant.
["mediate","facilitate a resolution","help settle"]
When discussing the field, acknowledge women arbitrators and mediators who expanded access to alternative dispute resolution and brought attention to gendered impacts of contracts and labor disputes.
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