recourse

noun

re·course | \ ˈrē-ˌkȯrs

, ri-ˈkȯrs\

Definition of recourse

1a : a turning to someone or something for help or protection settled the matter without recourse to law

b : a source of help or strength : resort had no recourse left

2 : the right to demand payment from the maker or endorser of a negotiable instrument (such as a check)

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Examples of recourse in a Sentence

The dispute was settled without recourse to law. a toddler quickly learns that a tantrum is a surefire recourse when a polite request for something is met with parental indifference

Recent Examples on the Web

In countries that don’t have a strong rule of law or legal recourse avenues, U.S. and other foreign firms are at a disadvantage. — Christine Mcdaniel, Fortune, "America Expects Too Much From the WTO. But It’s Our Problem to Fix," 7 June 2018 According to The Washington Post, the shutdown has left Americans who want fewer phone calls—which is all of us, really—with no recourse. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "There's Nothing Stopping Robocalls During the Government Shutdown," 17 Jan. 2019 Users could be banned for anything at all, often without recourse, and living with that ever-present anxiety was part of what kept posters in line. — Bijan Stephen, The Verge, "Death of a provocateur," 30 Nov. 2018 Besides offline communication and the blockchain, internet users also have virtual private networks, or VPNs, as a recourse. — Shannon Liao, The Verge, "2018 was the year Chinese internet users evaded censorship — briefly," 20 Dec. 2018 This would in effect leave states without any federal recourse to fund TANF if the economy took a downturn. — Tara Golshan, Vox, "How a Republican plan to fix cash assistance welfare falls short," 25 May 2018 Their only recourse is to engineer a white apartheid system similar to how many southern governments operated during Jim Crow, where Black populations were denied the vote while being subjected to the rule of white people. — Bree Newsome, SELF, "The 2018 Midterm Elections Proved That Change Must Happen from the Ground Up," 15 Nov. 2018 Moustafa said Fathy can still appeal her original two-year sentence before the Court of Cassation, Egypt’s final recourse for appeals in criminal cases. — Samy Magdy, The Seattle Times, "Attorney says Egyptian activist to return to jail any time," 1 Jan. 2019 Reformers see this as a clear improvement on the status quo, which gave the minority party little recourse. — Andrew Prokop, Vox, "The Ohio gerrymandering reform going for a statewide vote this week, explained," 7 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'recourse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

26 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for recourse

The first known use of recourse was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for recourse

recourse

noun

English Language Learners Definition of recourse

: an opportunity or choice to use or do something in order to deal with a problem or situation

See the full definition for recourse in the English Language Learners Dictionary

recourse

noun

re·course | \ ˈrē-ˌkȯrs

Kids Definition of recourse

: someone or something that can be turned to for help or protection

recourse

noun

re·course | \ ˈrē-ˌkōrs, ri-ˈkōrs

Legal Definition of recourse

1a : the act of turning to someone or something for assistance especially in obtaining redress

b : a means to a desired end especially in the nature of a remedy or justice also : the end itself

2 : the right or ability to demand payment or compensation specifically : the right to demand payment from the endorser or drawer of a negotiable instrument — see also recourse note at note — compare non-recourse

Note: Under Article 3 of the Uniform Commercial Code, the phrase without recourse on a negotiable instrument limits the liability of the endorser or drawer. If an endorsement states that it is made without recourse, the endorser is not liable to pay, subject to various conditions, if the instrument is dishonored. Similarly, if a draft states that it is drawn without recourse, the drawer is not liable to pay, subject to various conditions, if the draft is dishonored, provided that it is not a check.