bail
B1Formal (legal); Informal (nautical, general 'abandon' sense)
Definition
Meaning
The temporary release of a person awaiting trial, secured by a sum of money or a guarantee; or to remove water from a boat.
1. In law: The system or act of providing security for release from custody. 2. In nautical contexts: The act of scooping water out of a vessel. 3. In informal use (often with 'out'): To abandon a difficult situation or to rescue someone from one.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word has distinct domains (legal, nautical, informal). The informal sense of 'abandon' derives from the nautical act of leaving a sinking boat by scooping water.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both legal and nautical senses are standard in both. The informal 'bail on (someone/something)' meaning 'to abandon' is more recent and slightly more prevalent in American English.
Connotations
In legal contexts, neutral/formal. In informal use, 'bail' can carry a negative connotation of unreliability (e.g., 'He bailed on the party').
Frequency
The legal term is high-frequency in news/police contexts. The nautical term is mid-frequency. The informal 'abandon' sense is high-frequency in casual speech, especially among younger demographics.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[SV]O: The crew bailed the water.[SV]O PP: They bailed him out of jail.[SV] PP: She bailed on the project.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “jump bail”
- “go bail for someone”
- “bail out”
- “make bail”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in metaphorical use ('The company bailed out its failing subsidiary').
Academic
Primarily in legal studies; also in historical/nautical contexts.
Everyday
Common in news (legal), boating, and informal conversation ('I can't believe he bailed!').
Technical
Legal procedure; nautical safety technique.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The suspect was bailed to appear at court next month.
- We had to bail furiously as the storm filled the dinghy.
- Don't you dare bail on me tonight!
American English
- The judge set bail at $10,000.
- He quickly bailed the rainwater out of the canoe.
- She totally bailed on our road trip at the last minute.
adverb
British English
- Not used as an adverb.
American English
- Not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- Not commonly used as a pure adjective. 'Bail' is attributive in compounds like 'bail conditions', 'bail hearing'.
American English
- Same as British. Used attributively in legal compounds.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The fisherman used a bucket to bail water.
- He had to pay money for bail.
- The court granted her bail, so she can go home until the trial.
- If you jump bail, you will be in serious trouble.
- Despite the prosecutor's objections, the magistrate released the defendant on strict bail conditions.
- The government refused to bail out the struggling airline.
- The defense's bail application was denied on grounds of being a flight risk.
- Investors began to bail on the venture as soon as the first quarterly losses were announced.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a bucket used to BAIL water from a boat; the bucket is like the 'security' you need to BAIL someone out of jail.
Conceptual Metaphor
SECURITY IS A CONTAINER / REMOVING A PROBLEM IS REMOVING WATER.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend: 'бейл' does not exist. Legal 'bail' is 'залог под подписку о невыезде' or 'освобождение под залог'. Nautical 'bail' is 'вычерпывать воду'. Informal 'bail' is 'смыться', 'кинуть'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'bail' as a direct synonym for 'escape' without the 'security' or 'abandonment' nuance (e.g., 'He bailed from the prison').
- Confusing 'bail' (noun/verb) with 'bale' (a bundle of goods).
Practice
Quiz
What does it mean if someone 'jumps bail'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it has three main uses: legal (release from custody), nautical (remove water), and informal (to abandon or leave).
'Bail' relates to security or removing water. 'Bale' is a tightly bound bundle of material like hay or cotton, or as a verb, to make such a bundle.
Yes, in legal contexts ('He was bailed') and nautical contexts ('bail the boat'). The informal 'abandon' sense almost always uses 'bail on' someone/something.
It is a surety bond provided by a bail bondsman to secure the release of a defendant, who typically pays the bondsman a non-refundable fee (e.g., 10% of the bail amount).
Collections
Part of a collection
Crime and Justice
B1 · 46 words · Vocabulary for law, crime and the justice system.