noun Uncommon

umpire

UHM-peye-uh

Umpire (noun) means an official who oversees a sports match and enforces its rules, such as in baseball, cricket, or tennis. Example: “The umpire signaled that the pitch was a strike.”

noun

An official who oversees a sports match and enforces its rules, such as in baseball, cricket, or tennis.

"The umpire signaled that the pitch was a strike."

"A cricket match usually has two umpires standing on the field."

A neutral person chosen to settle a dispute between two other parties.

"The two neighbors agreed to let a mutual friend umpire their disagreement over the fence line."

verb

To serve as the official who judges a game or a dispute.

"He has umpired professional baseball games for over a decade."

How to use umpire

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe neutral official who enforces the rules and makes final calls in a sports match or a dispute.

Common mistake

In tennis and some other sports, "umpire" and "referee" both exist with slightly different roles — don't assume they're always interchangeable across sports.

Common pairings

home plate umpire umpire a match the umpire's decision

Word forms

umpired past tense, umpires plural, umpires singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The _____ signaled that the pitch was a strike.

Etymology

From a Middle English mishearing of "a noumper" as "an oumper" — the same kind of word-boundary shift that gave us "an apron" from "a napron." It ultimately traces to Old French nonper, "not equal," since an umpire is the odd, tie-breaking third party.

Origin: Old French

Synonyms

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referee ump arbiter arbitrator

Related words

judge reference GM ref referee reviewer arbiter arbitrator

Rhymes for umpire

ire fire wire tire lire dire hire mire sire afire Zaire spire

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Frequently asked questions

What does “umpire” mean?

The word “umpire” means an official who oversees a sports match and enforces its rules, such as in baseball, cricket, or tennis. In plain terms, the neutral official who enforces the rules and makes final calls in a sports match or a dispute.

How do you pronounce “umpire”?

“Umpire” is pronounced UHM-peye-uh (/ˈʌm.paɪɹ/ in IPA).

How do you use “umpire” in a sentence?

Here is “umpire” used in a sentence: “The umpire signaled that the pitch was a strike.”

What part of speech is “umpire”?

Depending on how it is used, “umpire” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “umpire” come from?

The word “umpire” comes from Old French.

Is “umpire” a common word?

“Umpire” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “umpire” have?

“Umpire” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an official who oversees a sports match and enforces its rules, such as in baseball, cricket, or tennis.

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judge reference GM ref referee reviewer arbiter arbitrator