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
O’Malley, 33, was released on personal recognizance after being arraigned in Roxbury District Court Thursday.
—
Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
The pills were sent off for testing, and Lilly was eventually released on her own recognizance.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Drozd ordered Lauer, who lives in Lafayette and has been out of custody on his own recognizance since his indictment in 2023, to turn himself in to federal authorities no later than noon on May 5.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 10 Mar. 2026
The actor was initially arrested and released later that day on his own recognizance.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for recognizance
Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
The pills were sent off for testing, and Lilly was eventually released on her own recognizance.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Drozd ordered Lauer, who lives in Lafayette and has been out of custody on his own recognizance since his indictment in 2023, to turn himself in to federal authorities no later than noon on May 5.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 10 Mar. 2026
The actor was initially arrested and released later that day on his own recognizance.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for recognizance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recognizance
bail
Noun
-
Both Hardy and Blincoe are in jail without bail, and their next court date has been set for April 2, records show.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
He was booked into San Diego jail on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recognizance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recognizance. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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