pro bono
adjective
Did you know?
In Latin, pro bono publico means "for the public good;" in English we generally shorten the phrase to pro bono. Donating free legal help to those who need it has long been a practice of American law firms; the American Bar Association actually recommends that all lawyers donate 50 hours a year. Pro bono work is sometimes donated by nonlegal firms as well. For example, an advertising firm might produce a 60-second video for an environmental or educational organization, or a strategic-planning firm might prepare a start-up plan for a charity that funds shelters for battered women.
Examples of pro bono in a Sentence
Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
Councilman Patrick Kelly expressed a similar sentiment, emphasizing that in the case of the assault rifles ban, the city knew there would be a tangible impact with the immediate ban and the city was ready to take on any litigation thanks to pro bono support from a major international law firm.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
She has also been deeply involved in nonprofit and community work, serving on boards and leading pro bono efforts.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Having hit a dead end, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office decided to bring the case to the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit organization founded in 2017 that uses investigative genetic genealogy experts, who work pro bono, to identify unknown deceased persons.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pro bono
Cite this Entry
“Pro bono.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pro%20bono. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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