recuse

Definition

To reject or repudiate (an authority, a person, a court judgment, etc.).

Etymology

From Late Middle English recusen, from Old French recuser (modern French récuser (“to challenge; to impugn; (formal) to make an objection; (law) to recuse”), and from its etymon Latin recūsāre, the present active infinitive of recūsō (“to decline, refuse, reject; (law) to object to, protest”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again’, denoting opposition or reversal) + causa (“cause, reason; (law) case, claim; etc.”) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs). Doublet of rouse and possibly ruse. Cognates * Catalan recusar * French récuser * Italian ricusare * Old Occitan recuzar * Portuguese recusar * Spanish recusar

Example Sentences

• "And therfore, if ayenst this peticion any processe be made of any maner Juge spirituel or temporell, and soo the same John have wronge, thanne he provoketh and appelleth this cause directly to the rightwisness of god and to the liege lorde, ffor other juges in his matere he hath utterly suspecte, for greet wronges that he hath had, dreding to have more. He therfor hem utterly recuseth, and herto he fully him submitteth."
• "[T]he Quenys grace may alvvayes recuſe & appell at her good pleaſure & libertie, from vvhatſoever Decree or Sentence, either interlocutorie, or definitive, ſhe vvil: […]"
• "The judge recused herself from that case, citing a possible conflict of interest as one of the parties was a personal friend."

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