recuse
re·cuse/ɹiˈkjuz/verb
recuse is spelled R-E-C-U-S-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (re·cuse). It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 50,539th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, recuse means “To reject or repudiate (an authority, a person, a court judgment, etc.)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in recuse?
| Letters | 6: R-E-C-U-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: re·cuse |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 50,539th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is recuse?
Recuse appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 50,539th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce recuse?
- UK /ɹɪˈkjuːz/
- US /ɹiˈkjuz/
- US /ɹə-/
Recuse has 2 syllables, split re·cuse in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-recuse.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with recuse?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as recuse from its last stressed vowel (/uz/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: secure, rescue, cereus.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of recuse
- recuses present, singular, he/she/it
- recusing participle, present
- recused participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does recuse mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To reject or repudiate (an authority, a person, a court judgment, etc.).
- 2
Of a judge, juror, or prosecutor: to declare (oneself) unable to participate in a court case due to an actual or potential conflict of interest or lack of impartiality.
The judge recused herself from that case, citing a possible conflict of interest as one of the parties was a personal friend.
- 3
CanadaUSTo object to (a judge, juror, or prosecutor) participating in a court case due to an actual or potential conflict of interest or lack of impartiality.
- 4
obsoleteTo refuse (to do something).
- 5
obsoleterareTo dismiss (an appeal).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Recuse in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | récuser |
| German | wegen Befangenheit ablehnen , sich für befangen erklären |
| Spanish | recusar , recusarse |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does recuse come from?
From Late Middle English recusen, from Old French recuser (modern French récuser (“to challenge; to impugn; (formal) to make an objection; (law) to recuse”), and from its etymon Latin recūsāre, the present active infinitive of recūsō (“to decline, refuse, reject; (law) to object to, protest”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again’, denoting opposition or reversal) + causa (“cause, reason; (law) case, claim; etc.”) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs). Doublet of rouse and possibly ruse.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).