adjourn

/əˈdʒɜːn/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈdʒɜːrn/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈjərn/ (ame, mw)

adjourn — verb

  • adjournpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • adjournshe / she / it
  • adjournedpast simple
  • adjourning-ing form

1. to stop a formal meeting, court hearing, or official proceeding for a period of

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to stop a formal meeting, court hearing, or official proceeding for a period of time, with the intention of resuming the business later

例句

Judge Okonkwo adjourned the trial for two weeks so the defence team could gather more evidence.

adjourn + noun (trial) + for + duration

The school board adjourned its monthly meeting at ten so parents could return the following evening.

同義詞
  • postpone

    has a broader, less formal range — can be used for any event (not just official ones); 'adjourn' is restricted to formal proceedings

  • suspend

    suggests an interruption that may be indefinite or due to a problem; 'adjourn' implies a planned resumption

  • recess

    refers specifically to a short break within the same day (e.g. a lunch recess); 'adjourn' often ends a session completely until a future date

  • defer

    used for decisions or actions rather than meetings; 'defer a decision' means to put it off, while 'adjourn a meeting' means to pause the session

反義詞
  • convene

    means to bring together or open a meeting — the opposite of closing a session by adjourning

  • open

    used formally to begin proceedings in court or in a meeting

文法句型

adjourn + noun (meeting / trial / session)

adjourn for + purpose (lunch / the day)

adjourn until + time / date

adjourn to + place

be adjourned + (for / until / to)

用法筆記

Often found in legal and official contexts. The subject is typically a person in authority (a judge, a chairperson) or a governing body (a committee, a council). The passive form ('The meeting was adjourned') is common, especially in formal announcements. When the break involves moving to another location, 'adjourn to' is used — for example, 'We adjourned to the conference room for further discussion.'

常見錯誤

❌The judge adjourned the thief to prison for five years.
✅The judge sentenced the thief to five years in prison.
💡'adjourn' only relates to pausing a proceeding, not to issuing a punishment.
❌We adjourned the party at midnight.
✅The party ended at midnight.
💡'adjourn' is restricted to formal or official settings; it is not used for informal social gatherings.