recuse: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Legal, Official
Quick answer
What does “recuse” mean?
To formally disqualify oneself from participating in a decision or proceeding, typically due to a conflict of interest or potential bias.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To formally disqualify oneself from participating in a decision or proceeding, typically due to a conflict of interest or potential bias.
To voluntarily remove oneself from a position of judgment, authority, or responsibility to ensure fairness and impartiality, often in legal, judicial, or official contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling and usage are identical. The concept and legal application are the same in both jurisdictions.
Connotations
Strongly associated with judicial ethics, legal professionalism, and formal procedure in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both, confined almost exclusively to legal, governmental, and formal organisational contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “recuse” in a Sentence
[Subject] recused [Reflexive Pronoun] from [Noun Phrase][Subject] was recused from [Noun Phrase]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “recuse” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The magistrate chose to recuse herself from hearing the case.
- Given his prior comments, he felt honour-bound to recuse himself.
American English
- The judge had to recuse himself due to a financial connection to the plaintiff.
- She filed a motion to recuse the prosecutor, but the request was denied.
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverb derived from 'recuse']
American English
- [No standard adverb derived from 'recuse']
adjective
British English
- [The adjective 'recusant' exists but is historical/religious, not directly related to 'recuse' in modern legal sense.]
American English
- [The adjective 'recusant' exists but is historical/religious, not directly related to 'recuse' in modern legal sense.]
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Used in boardroom contexts regarding conflicts of interest in votes or decisions.
Academic
Used in law and political science discussions about judicial conduct.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would sound overly formal or technical.
Technical
Core usage is in legal and judicial terminology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “recuse”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “recuse”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “recuse”
- Using it transitively without a reflexive pronoun (e.g., 'He recused the case' is wrong; correct: 'He recused himself from the case').
- Confusing it with 'excuse' or 'refuse'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not directly. The verb is primarily reflexive ('recuse oneself'). You can file a 'motion to recuse' a judge, which is a request for *them* to disqualify *themselves*.
The related noun is 'recusal' (e.g., 'The judge's recusal was noted in the court record').
Primarily, but it can apply to anyone in a position of official judgment or decision-making where a conflict exists, such as a board member, arbitrator, or government official.
'Excuse' is general (to release from duty or forgive). 'Recuse' is specific and formal, meaning to disqualify oneself from a specific duty (usually judicial) to avoid bias.
To formally disqualify oneself from participating in a decision or proceeding, typically due to a conflict of interest or potential bias.
Recuse is usually formal, legal, official in register.
Recuse: in British English it is pronounced /rɪˈkjuːz/, and in American English it is pronounced /rɪˈkjuːz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms for this specific verb]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: REfuse to be the judge in a CASE because you're too close to it. RE-CUSE.
Conceptual Metaphor
JUSTICE IS BLINDNESS (removing oneself to preserve impartial vision).
Practice
Quiz
In which scenario is it most appropriate to use the verb 'recuse'?