Adjournment is the formal suspension of a meeting or session, typically to resume later. It denotes the act of postponing proceedings and ending a current phase, with an implicit expectation that business will continue after a break. The term is used in legal, parliamentary, and formal organizational contexts to designate temporary interruption rather than termination.
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- You may overpronounce the first syllable, producing a full /æ/ instead of a reduced /ə/. Practice by starting with a shallow vowel and stepping into the /ə/ sound. - The /ˈdʒɜːrn/ vs /ˈdʒɜːn/ distinction: in some accents you drop the r after the vowel; preserve the r-coloring in rhotic accents (US) or avoid it in non-rhotic (UK/AU) as appropriate. Practice with a careful pause between the second vowel and the final /n/ to avoid running the syllables together. - Finally, the final -ment should have a light, almost silent /t/; don’t attach the /t/ to the /n/. Try a short, crisp /t/ after a gentle /mənt/.
- US: emphasize rhotics; the /ɜː/ may be colored with /ɹ/ in rapid speech; keep your tongue high-mid, tip slightly down, with the force on the onset /dʒ/. - UK: lean toward non-rhoticity; drop post-vocalic r; maintain crisp /dʒ/ and /ən/; keep mouth slightly wider for /ɜː/. - AU: similar to UK but with a flatter, broader vowel and less vowel reduction; ensure /ə/ for initial and /ˈdʒɜːn.mənt/; practice with gentle /r/ coloration only in rhotic contexts.
"The senate called for an adjournment until next Tuesday."
"After a brief recess, the judge declared an adjournment to reconvene in the morning."
"The council chair announced an immediate adjournment due to inclement weather."
"We can discuss the matter after the adjournment and reconvene with fresh information."
Adjournment comes from the Old French word ajouter (to add) and the Latin ad- (toward) plus cornu (horn or edge) in the sense of bringing something toward a close. The form adjourn is attested in English from the 14th century, originally meaning to turn away or withdraw, and by the 15th century shifting toward a legislative sense of postponing a session. The suffix -ment, from Latin -mentum, marks a noun describing the result or action (the act of adjourn). Over time, adjournment specialized in legal and parliamentary domains to mean a formal postponement of a meeting or trial. First known uses appear in parliamentary records and legal writs of the late medieval period, solidifying its current, ritualized sense as a procedural pause rather than an end.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "adjournment" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "adjournment" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "adjournment"
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Pronounce as a-ˈdʒɜːrn-ment. Primary stress falls on the second syllable: /əˈdʒɜːrn.mənt/ (US) or /əˈdʒɜːn.mənt/ (UK/AU). The first syllable is a schwa, the second syllable carries the /ˈdʒɜːr/ or /ˈdʒɜːn/ cluster, and the final -ment is a quick /mənt/. Note the rhotic vs non-rhotic differences mostly affect the r-in /ɜːr/ in rhotic accents. IPA: US /əˈdʒɜːrn.mənt/; UK /əˈdʒɜːn.mənt/; AU /əˈdʒɜːn.mənt/.
Common errors: (1) Overloading the first syllable as a full 'a' instead of a schwa: say /ə/ not /æ/. (2) Misplacing stress by saying 'AD-journ-ment' instead of 'ad-JOURN-ment'; keep primary stress on the second syllable. (3) Slurring the -ment into the previous consonant, producing /ɜːn.ment/ instead of /ɜːrn.mənt/. Correction: clearly separate /ˈdʒɜːrn/ as the nucleus, then a light /mənt/.
US: rhotacized /ɜːr/ in the nucleus, may sound like /əˈdʒɜːrn.mənt/. UK: non-rhotic; /əˈdʒɜːn.mənt/ with a shorter /ɜː/ and less pronounced /r/ after the vowel. AU: similar to UK, often with a slightly broader vowel quality; you may hear a more centralized /ɜː/ and non-rhotic r. Overall, US emphasizes the /r/ sometimes, UK/AU tend toward non-rhoticity; the secondary syllable is the critical carrier of the /dʒ/ onset and /ɜː/ vowel.
Because of the cluster around the /dʒ/ onset and the vowel quality in the stressed syllable (/ˈdʒɜːr/ or /ˈdʒɜːn/). The combination of a schwa or reduced vowel on the first syllable, followed by a tense mid-back vowel, plus a light, unstressed final -ment can cause reductions and timing errors in fluent speech. Focus on the strong second syllable and keep /dʒ/ crisp before the vowel.
A unique feature is the mid-syllable /ɜːr/ or /ɜːn/ depending on rhoticity; keep the nucleus stable as a single vowel sound, then release into /mənt/. The final /nt/ is often lightly enunciated; avoid a voiceless /nt/ blend with the preceding /ə/. Emphasize the /dʒ/ onset and its palato-alveolar place of articulation for a precise, clipped third quarter.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "adjournment"!
- Shadowing: listen to a 20–30 second reading of a legal or parliamentary excerpt containing adjournment; imitate with a 1-second lag, focusing on the second syllable stress and crisp /dʒ/ onset. - Minimal pairs: adjournment vs adjournment? Keep the /n/ vs /rn/ nuance; implement pairs like 'ad-journ-ment' vs 'ad-jour-nment' to feel the /r/. - Rhythm: practice a 4-beat phrase with adjournment in the middle: 'We will adjourn-ment the session until morning' to feel the natural stress. - Stress: place primary stress on the second syllable and practice increasing tempo while maintaining accuracy. - Recording: record yourself reading legal text; compare your /dʒɜːrn/ vs reference; adjust mouth positions. - 2 context sentences: 'The committee voted to adjournment for the afternoon, resuming at 9:00 the next day.' 'An adjournment was requested due to insufficient evidence and will be extended later.' - You should aim for 2–3 seconds per word on a slow read, 1.2–1.5 seconds per word on a natural read.
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