recusal

/ɹɪˈkjuːzəl/

recusal means an act of recusing; removing oneself from a decision/judgment because of a conflict of interest.

recusal is pronounced /ɹɪˈkjuːzəl/.

Why “recusal” is a great word

The formal withdrawal of a judge or official from a case due to a conflict of interest or bias, to preserve the integrity of a proceeding. From the verb 'recuse' (from Anglo-French *recuser*, from Latin *recusare* "to refuse, object to") + the noun-forming suffix '-al'. Unlike 'disqualification'—a broader, often externally imposed removal—or 'recusancy'—a principled refusal in matters of conscience—recusal is a precise, self-executed act of judicial abstinence. It is the empty chair at the bench, the council member leaving the chamber before a vote on a relative's bid, the gavel deliberately set aside so the light of judgment may fall upon another. It is the machinery of justice performing its coldest, most necessary virtue.

Etymology

From recuse + -al.

noun

An act of recusing; removing oneself from a decision/judgment because of a conflict of interest.

Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Words closest in meaning

By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.

recuse 80% match — To reject or repudiate (an authority, a person, a court judgment, etc.). vs recusal →
recusation 80% match — The act of disqualifying a judge or jury in a specific case on the grounds of possible partiality or prejudice. vs recusal →
recusancy 68% match — Obstinate refusal or opposition. vs recusal →
abjudication 59% match — Rejection or confiscation by judicial sentence. vs recusal →
recusative 58% match — Refusing; denying; rejecting of the norm. vs recusal →
recusant 57% match — Someone refusing to attend Church of England services, between the 16th and early 19th centuries, whether a Protestant dissident or a Roman Catholic. vs recusal →
abjudicate 55% match — To reject by judicial sentence. vs recusal →
recrimination 55% match — The act of recriminating. vs recusal →