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
Quigley pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance.
—
Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Machado, who bailed out of sheriff’s custody, remains free on her own recognizance.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2026
He was later released on his own recognizance pending trial.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Medina was arrested for shoplifting in June 2023 and released on a personal recognizance bond, according to court records.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for recognizance
Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Machado, who bailed out of sheriff’s custody, remains free on her own recognizance.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2026
He was later released on his own recognizance pending trial.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Medina was arrested for shoplifting in June 2023 and released on a personal recognizance bond, according to court records.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for recognizance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recognizance
bail
Noun
-
Bristy's whereabouts remained unknown when the bail application was filed Saturday, but authorities found her shoes and purse inside the apartment, according to court documents.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
After that arrest, Alexander was released after posting bail, Broward court records show.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recognizance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recognizance. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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