recuse

verb

re·​cuse ri-ˈkyüz How to pronounce recuse (audio)
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 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 hearing was presided over by Judge Elizabeth Lee, after a previous judge, Sean Dabel, recused himself. Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024 Prosecutors have disputed these claims in motions before the court, but a judge found them concerning enough to recuse the Utah County Attorney’s Office from prosecuting Hamblin’s case. Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024 Justice Patrick DeWine, the governor's eldest son, recused himself from the case. Laura A. Bischoff, The Enquirer, 23 Jan. 2024 Republican lawmakers are bashing Democratic calls for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from a case on whether former President Donald Trump can be removed from Colorado’s primary election ballot. Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner, 14 Jan. 2024 The women’s team stagnated for years, never making it beyond the second round of the NCAA tournament, and so its greatest alumni recused herself. Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 28 Feb. 2024 Commissioner Patrick McDonald recused himself from the meeting, Ashley Dowell, the parole board’s executive director, told the Statesman by email. Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 15 Feb. 2024 Judge Howard Shore declined to recuse himself from hearing a Racial Justice Act motion in a homicide case. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2024 Rollins himself is a co-author of two studies mentioned by David and will be recused from investigations about them. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recuse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of recuse was in 1829

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Dictionary Entries Near recuse

Cite this Entry

“Recuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recuse. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

recuse

transitive verb
re·​cuse ri-ˈkyüz How to pronounce recuse (audio)
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 GeneralCalifornia 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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