Recuse means: Of a judge, juror, or prosecutor: to declare oneself disqualified from trying a court case due to an actual or potential conflict of interest or lack of impartiality.. It is legal vocabulary; usage is usually formal, institutional, or news-related rather than casual teen talk. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour.
recuse
(intransitive, law) Of a judge, juror, or prosecutor: to declare oneself disqualified from trying a court case due to an actual or potential conflict of interest or lack of impartiality.
Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
(intransitive, law) Of a judge, juror, or prosecutor: to declare oneself disqualified from trying a court case due to an actual or potential conflict of interest or lack of impartiality.
The district attorney recused from the case because he used to work for the company which was the defendant.
Origin: From Late , from (modern , and from its , the of recūsō, from re- + causa + -ō. and possibly ruse. * * * * * *. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Recuse means: Of a judge, juror, or prosecutor: to declare oneself disqualified from trying a court case due to an actual or potential conflict of interest or lack of impartiality.. It is legal vocabulary; usage is usually formal, institutional, or news-related rather than casual teen talk. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour.
For ESL learners
recuse means: Of a judge, juror, or prosecutor: to declare oneself disqualified from trying a court case due to an actual or potential conflict of interest or lack of impartiality.. Register: formal, legal English. Standard in its technical domain but rare in everyday talk; gloss with a plain synonym when writing for a general audience. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: authority_figure
Heard in the wild
“So the mayor pro tem will have to vote on if the city should pay the settlement or do we believe recusal is on the table? Cause we've seen those with power rarely recuse themselves from conflicted interests.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "recuse" (R)
reconstructive morticianrecreational vehiclerecreation roomrectal varicosityrectorrecurrecycleRedanneckred antred-assedredbaitred-baiter
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(transitive, obsolete, _, except as a legal term) To exclude, oust, or dispossess by a judgment; prohibit (from).
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To request that a decision be reconsidered.
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(UK, legal, transitive) To excuse for failure to appear in court.
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(UK, law, obsolete) An excuse for not appearing in court at the return of process; the allegation of an excuse to the court.