recourse
[ ree-kawrs, -kohrs, ri-kawrs, -kohrs ]
/ ˈri kɔrs, -koʊrs, rɪˈkɔrs, -ˈkoʊrs /
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noun
access or resort to a person or thing for help or protection: to have recourse to the courts for justice.
a person or thing resorted to for help or protection.
the right to collect from a maker or endorser of a negotiable instrument. The endorser may add the words “without recourse” on the instrument, thereby transferring the instrument without assuming any liability.
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QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
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Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Origin of recourse
1350–1400; Middle English recours<Old French <Late Latin recursus,Latin: return, retreat, noun use of past participle of recurrere to run back; see recur
Words nearby recourse
record player, reco-reco, recount, recountal, recoup, recourse, recover, recoverable, recoverable error, recovered memory, recovery
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for recourse
British Dictionary definitions for recourse
recourse
/ (rɪˈkɔːs) /
noun
the act of resorting to a person, course of action, etc, in difficulty or danger (esp in the phrase have recourse to)
a person, organization, or course of action that is turned to for help, protection, etc
the right to demand payment, esp from the drawer or endorser of a bill of exchange or other negotiable instrument when the person accepting it fails to pay
without recourse a qualified endorsement on such a negotiable instrument, by which the endorser protects himself or herself from liability to subsequent holders
Word Origin for recourse
C14: from Old French recours, from Late Latin recursus a running back, from re- + currere to run
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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