Arbitration (n.)is the process of bringing a business dispute before a disinterested third party for resolution. The third party, an arbitrator, hears the evidence brought by both sides and makes a decision. Sometimes that decision is binding on the parties.
To arbitrate (v.)a matter is to bring it before an arbitrator.
Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), used in place of litigation in the hope of settling a dispute without the cost and time of going to court.
Arbitration is often confused with mediation, which is an informal process of bringing in a third party who goes between the disputing parties to help them settle a dispute. The mediation process is not binding on the parties, and the mediator does not hear evidence.
