recognizance
Americannoun
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Law.
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a bond or obligation of record entered into before a court of record or a magistrate, binding a person to do a particular act.
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the sum pledged as surety on such a bond.
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Archaic. recognition.
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Archaic. a token; badge.
noun
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law
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a bond entered into before a court or magistrate by which a person binds himself to do a specified act, as to appear in court on a stated day, keep the peace, or pay a debt
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a monetary sum pledged to the performance of such an act
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an obsolete word for recognition
Other Word Forms
- recognizant adjective
Etymology
Origin of recognizance
1350–1400; Middle English reconissaunce, recognisance < Old French reconuissance. See recognize, -ance
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.
A judge released Lemon without bail on his own recognizance.
From Salon
Lemon was released on his own recognizance after a brief court appearance in Los Angeles and has vowed to fight the charges.
From Salon
“I have spent my entire career covering the news,” Lemon told reporters after he was released on his own recognizance Friday afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times
Busfield, known for his roles on “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” was jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque but was granted release on his own recognizance on Jan. 20.
From Los Angeles Times
He was released on his personal recognizance and was told to remain at least 100 feet away from federal officers.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
