as in bail
law
a legal promise made by someone before a court of law that must be kept to avoid being punished
After his arraignment, the suspect was released on his own recognizance.
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Recent Examples of recognizance
After his arraignment on charges of falsifying business records in New York in 2023, he was released on his own recognizance – without putting up any cash.
—
Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
He was released on personal recognizance and ordered to stay away from the incident location.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
Jaldin was released on his own recognizance on July 15 in connection with a hit-and-run on July 2.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Briggs asked for Crofts to be released on his own recognizance.
—Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recognizance
Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
He was released on personal recognizance and ordered to stay away from the incident location.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
Jaldin was released on his own recognizance on July 15 in connection with a hit-and-run on July 2.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Briggs asked for Crofts to be released on his own recognizance.
—Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recognizance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recognizance
bail
Noun
-
In part of a flurry of motions from both sides in the past week, Stines is asking for a judge to release him on bail.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
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Still, experts say robust government involvement carries risks, including the potential for political fallout, as happened after Obama-era corporate and bank bail-outs.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Recognizance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recognizance. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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