A neutral third party chosen to settle disputes outside of court. Someone with authority to make binding decisions in conflicts between other parties.
From Latin arbiter 'judge, umpire' + -ator suffix indicating agent. From arbitrari 'to be of an opinion, judge,' originally meaning 'to go to someone as a witness.'
Ancient Rome created the arbitrator role because their courts were so backlogged - wealthy Romans would choose respected citizens to settle disputes privately, establishing a precedent that modern alternative dispute resolution still follows 2,000 years later.
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