You searched for: “recuse
recluse, recluse, recuse
recluse (REK loos", ri KLOOS) (noun)
An individual who has chosen to withdraw from society by living in solitude: During her retirement, Latonya became a recluse and rarely went out in public.
recluse (REK loos", ri KLOOS) (adjective)
Characterizing a trait of a person who withdraws from social contact: Monroe's recluse behavior was accentuated by his unusual suit when he did go out in public.
recuse (ri KYOOZ) (verb)
1. In law, to object to, to protest, or to challenge a magistrate, a juror, etc.: Antonio was dissatisfied with the judicial process and sought to recuse the judge on the basis of incompetence.
2. To disqualify oneself from acting in a particular situation: The mayor sought to recuse herself from the committee because of a personal conflict of interest.

To recuse refers to the process by which a judge is disqualified as a result of an objection by either party (or disqualifies himself or herself) from hearing a lawsuit because of self-interest, bias, or prejudice.

The old recluse who lived in the barn tried to recuse the plan by the city council to tear down the barn and to build a retreat for holiday goers.

recuse (verb), recuses; recused; recusing
1. To refuse or to reject: "The member of the jury recused herself because she was a family member of the person on trial."
2. To disqualify or try to disqualify someone from taking part in a decision because of a possible prejudice or personal involvement: "The professor was definitely recusing himself from taking part in the legal action against a company because he was once an employee there."
3. Etymology: "derived from the Middle French word recuser, which came from Latin recusare, "to refuse".

"English speakers started using recuse with the meaning "to refuse" or "to reject" in the 14th century. By the 15th century, the term meant "to challenge" or "to object to (a judge)". The current legal use of recuse as a term specifically meaning "to disqualify (oneself) as a judge" didn't come into general use until the mid-20th century.

Now, the more inclusive applications come from the sense of recusing oneself from such things as debates and decisions; as well as, legal cases in courts of law.

This entry is located in the following units: caus- (page 3) Latin Proverbs, Mottoes, Phrases, and Words: Group R (page 1)