pro bono

or pro-bon·o

[proh boh-noh]

See more synonyms for pro bono on Thesaurus.com

adjective, adverb

(of legal work) without charge to the client: The firm offers pro bono legal services. He took the case pro bono.

Origin of pro bono

First recorded in 1720–30, pro bono is from the Latin word prō bonō for (the) good, rightly, morally

pro bono publico

[proh boh-noh poo-bli-koh; English proh boh-noh puhb-li-koh]

adverb Latin.

for the public good or welfare.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pro bono

Contemporary Examples of pro bono

The day I met Elvina, Enrique introduced her to a pro-bono immigration lawyer.
‘We Cannot Return to Guatemala’: An Immigrant Mother’s Plea
Sarah Moga
July 24, 2014
Yet still, he took a long breath and offered some pro-bono advice to the struggling campaign.
Messaging Guru Frank Luntz Offers Romney Help on Bain, Taxes
Daniel Stone
July 18, 2012
BBDO, the ad agency where the three letterbombers are employed, later co-opted the practice for a pro-bono client.
How to Hack Palin's Facebook Page
Brian Ries
October 28, 2010

British Dictionary definitions for pro bono

pro bono publico

for the public good

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

Word Origin and History for pro bono

short for Medieval Latin pro bono publico "for the public good;" see pro- + bene-.