bail bond

American

noun

a formal document that gives bail for someone to be released from custody.

bail bond British

noun

a document in which a prisoner and one or more sureties guarantee that the prisoner will attend the court hearing of the charge against him if he is released on bail

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bail bond

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Voters nixed it after the bail bond industry spearheaded a campaign to send the measure to voters.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 25, 2025

Proponents say well-meaning organizations should have no issue following the same rules as bail bond companies.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2024

Carroll led the push to eliminate the private bail bond system and the state invested heavily in teacher salaries and provided free textbooks.

From Washington Times • Dec. 10, 2023

Zhao paid a $175 million bail bond, with another $15 million held in a trust account, a court filing showed.

From Reuters • Nov. 22, 2023

At the close of the war, he pleaded for immediate conciliation and was a signer of the bail bond which restored Jefferson Davis to liberty after two years imprisonment in Fortress Monroe.

From A Brief History of the United States by Barnes & Co.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023