as in bail
law
a legal promise made by someone before a court of law that must be kept to avoid being punished
After his arraignment, the suspect was released on his own recognizance.
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Recent Examples of recognizance
The next day he was served with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge and released on an order of recognizance.
—
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2025
The Assumption University students, who all face kidnapping and conspiracy charges, briefly stood in Worcester District Court and pleaded not guilty before being released on personal recognizance.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025
He was then released on his own recognizance, according to a news release from the Office of Attorney General.
—Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025
He was released on his own recognizance, officials said.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recognizance
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2025
The Assumption University students, who all face kidnapping and conspiracy charges, briefly stood in Worcester District Court and pleaded not guilty before being released on personal recognizance.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025
He was then released on his own recognizance, according to a news release from the Office of Attorney General.
—Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025
He was released on his own recognizance, officials said.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recognizance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recognizance
bail
Noun
-
Shi, after making bail, fled the country, cops said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2025
-
As part of his bail conditions, Brown, 36, who had not been asked to enter a plea at the time of this article’s publication, can now launch his world tour next month.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Recognizance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recognizance. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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