recognizance Definition
re·cog·ni·zance (ri käg′ni zəns, -kän′i-)
noun
- Law
- an obligation of record entered into before a court or magistrate, binding a person to do or not do something, be in court at a certain time, etc.
- a sum of money pledged and subject to forfeit if this obligation is not fulfilled
- Archaic recognition
- Obsolete a symbol, token, or badge
Etymology: ME reconissance < OFr reconaissance < reconnoisant, prp. of reconoistre < L recognoscere, to recall to mind < re-, again + cognoscere, to know: see cognition
recognizance Law Definition
n
A bond made to a court, and
recorded, of an obligation to do something, which if the person so bound fails
to do will require the payment of a preset sum of money. Most often, a
recognizance is in the form of a bail bond that guarantees an unimprisoned
criminal defendants appearance for trial. See also bail, bond, and release
on own recognizance.
recognizance Usage Examples
Converse of object
- forfeit: Enforcement of fines imposed and recognizances forfeited by Crown Court.
- take: Bultmann took recognizance of statements that were indeed attributed to the Risen Jesus ( 1 Thess.
Adjective modifier
own: The magistrate bound them all over to enter into their own recognizances to keep the peace for six months.
Browse dictionary entries near recognizance
- ‹ recognizable
- ‹ recognition point
- ‹ recognition and retransmission
- ‹ recognition and flagging
- ‹ recognition
- ‹ reclusion
- ‹ recluse
- ‹ recliner
- ‹ recline
- ‹ reclinate
- recognizance, ones own ›
- recognize ›
- recognized ›
- recognizee ›
- recognizor ›
- recoil ›
- recoilless ›
- recoin ›
- recollect ›
- recollection ›

