Did you know?
If you ever find yourself accused of refusing to recuse yourself, look on the bright side: you may be in a legal predicament, but you’ve also got a great occasion to learn some etymology. Accuse and recuse not only share space in the vocabulary of the courtroom, they both ultimately trace back to the Latin word causa, meaning “legal case,” “reason,” or “cause.” The current legal use of recuse to mean “to disqualify (oneself) as a judge” didn’t settle into frequent use until the 19th century. Broader application soon followed, and you can now recuse yourself from such things as debates and decisions as well as court cases.
Examples of recuse in a Sentence
Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
In one of three handwritten letters, Rodriguez-Singh begs state District Judge Julie Lugo, who this week recused herself from the case for a reason that is not clear, for help.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2026
Mesiacos recused himself from the vote and the discussion around the agreement, both at that meeting and at previous ones.
—R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Six of seven members of the board’s Administration Committee work for organizations that receive CoC funding and have not recused themselves from decisions that could financially benefit them.
—Ian Cummings, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for recuse
Cite this Entry
“Recuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recuse. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
recuse
transitive verb
California Penal CodeAnglo-French recuser to refuse, from Middle French, from Latin recusare, from re- back + causari to give a reason, from causa cause, reason
