recuse

verb

re·​cuse ri-ˈkyüz 

recused; recusing

transitive verb

: to disqualify (oneself) as judge in a particular case

broadly : to remove (oneself) from participation to avoid a conflict of interest

recusal

ri-ˈkyü-zəl 

noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The Supreme Court was unable to consider a petition to review a copyright case after a rare lack of quorum due to four justices recusing themselves from evaluating the petition. — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 19 Oct. 2026

Signaling a potential means to deflect a future get-out-the-vote blitz, Kay said that anyone affiliated with Los Angeles County was required to recuse themselves and physically leave the meeting room if in person or join a breakout room online. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Those close to Al-Khelaifi are insistent that there is no conflict of interest, with the chair recusing himself from the LFP board over the past 12 months to remove any potential issue. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Officials must fully disclose financial interests, gifts and conflicts, recuse themselves when legally required and avoid private arrangements that create even the appearance of preferential treatment. — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to refuse, reject, from Anglo-French recuser, from Latin recusare

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for recuse

• accrues
• accuse
• aircrews
• amuse
• bamboos
• breakthroughs
• canoes
• cashews
• chartreuse
• confuse
• construes
• defuse

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Legal Definition

recuse

transitive verb

re·​cuse ri-ˈkyüz 

recused; recusing

1

: to challenge or object to (as a judge) as having prejudice or a conflict of interest

2

: to disqualify (as oneself or another judge or official) for a proceeding by a judicial act because of prejudice or conflict of interest

an order recusing the district attorney from any proceeding may be appealed by the district attorney or the Attorney General

—California Penal Code

recusement noun

Etymology

Anglo-French recuser to refuse, from Middle French, from Latin recusare, from re- back + causari to give a reason, from causa cause, reason