Which word means 'to judge a dispute between two opposing parties'?

• A. Anachronism
• B. Analogous
• C. Abscond
• D. Arbitrate

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is the verb that means settling a dispute between two opposing parties by a neutral decision-maker: arbitrate. Arbitrate involves hearing both sides and issuing a decision that resolves the disagreement, often in a formal, sometimes binding process outside the regular court system. This captures the sense of judgment and resolution specifically applied to conflicts between parties.

That’s why it’s the best fit: it directly conveys the act of judging and deciding a dispute through an impartial authority. The other words describe unrelated ideas—an anachronism is something out of its proper time; analogous means similar in some ways; abscond means to flee secretly—so they don’t pertain to resolving a dispute.