Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 7, 2025, is adjudicate. To adjudicate means to make an official decision about who is right in a dispute between two parties. It can also refer to settling a case or claim judicially. Essentially, adjudicate means to act as a judge. For instance, a case might be adjudicated in state courts. A property title transfer may be delayed until a dispute affecting rights of way is adjudicated. Pete Rose's candidacy for a Hall of Fame induction was to be adjudicated by a smaller era committee. This process highlights the influence of the Latin word "jus," meaning law, on legal terminology. Other words like judgment, judicial, and justice also demonstrate this Latin root.