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

Attorneys Ben Kuehne and Neil Taylor, concerned the judge showed a bias, asked Jean to recuse herself. —Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024

Shore declined to recuse himself, and Genser and prosecutors could not agree on which other local judge should rule on the disqualification motion. —Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024

Deters, a Republican who was appointed to the highest court by Gov. Mike DeWine, recused himself from the case after Jones' lawyers asked him to. —The Enquirer, 28 Mar. 2024

Redstone is said to have recused herself from the deal-vetting process. —Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024

The trial is set to start on April 15, but would be delayed if Mercan were to agree to Trump's request to recuse himself. —Brian Bennett, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024

Former Justice Department prosecutor Andrew Weissmann said on MSNBC that the way forward is for Willis to voluntarily recuse herself so that anything that happens to her in terms of ethics doesn't taint the case. —Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024

The list of issues from which she is recused includes utility power-generation and transmission initiatives, PSC rule making, grant programs and oversight of energy efficiency programs. —Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2024

Jefferson and another author of the new study sit on the committee and will recuse themselves from the vote. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined above

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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