Definition of recuse
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
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Recent Examples of recuse from the Web
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The judge also again turned down a request from Johnson to get information from prosecutors about why former U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy recused herself from the case.
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Nunes recused himself from the Russia investigation after he was criticized for being too close to the White House.
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In a new argument, a Republican aide suggested to CNN that Nunes had never formally recused himself from the investigation.
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The aide said any such subpoenas would have been issued by Representative Devin Nunes of California, the committee’s chairman, who has recused himself from the Russia investigation.
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Why hadn’t the board asked Zila to recuse herself from voting, Passan asked board members, and why hadn’t Zila considered refraining from voting herself?
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Nonetheless, Sessions was forced to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.
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Sessions previously recused himself from a Justice Department investigation into potential ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
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Two other judges, both appointed by Republican presidents, recused themselves.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'recuse'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Recuse is derived from the Anglo-French word recuser, which comes from Latin recusare, meaning "to refuse." English speakers began using "recuse" with the meaning "to refuse or reject" in the 14th century. By the 17th century, the term had acquired the meaning "to challenge or object to (a judge)." The current legal use of "recuse" as a term specifically meaning "to disqualify (oneself) as a judge" didn't come into frequent use until the mid-20th century. Broader applications soon followed from this sense - you can now recuse yourself from such things as debates and decisions as well as court cases.
Origin and Etymology of recuse
Middle English, to refuse, reject, from Anglo-French recuser, from Latin recusare
First Known Use: 1829
Other Legal Terms
Law Dictionary
recuse
playLegal Definition of recuse
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
nounOrigin and Etymology of recuse
Anglo-French recuser to refuse, from Middle French, from Latin recusare, from re- back + causari to give a reason, from causa cause, reason
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