recognizance
noun
Forms recognizances
- noun (law) A form of bail; a promise made by the accused to the court that they will attend all required judicial proceedings and will not engage in further illegal activity or other prohibited conduct as set by the court. “The defendant was released on his own recognizance.”
- noun A token; a symbol; a pledge.
- noun An acknowledgment of a person or thing; an avowal; a profession; a recognition.
Synonyms
recog recognisance
Etymology
From Middle English reconisaunce, from Old French reconissance. Doublet of reconnaissance.
Webster’s 1913
- noun (a) An obligation of record entered into before some court of record or magistrate duly authorized, with condition to do some particular act, as to appear at the same or some other court, to keep the peace, or pay a debt. A recognizance differs from a bond, being witnessed by the record only, and not by the party's seal.
- noun A token; a symbol; a pledge; a badge.
Etymology [F. reconnaissance, OF. recognoissance, fr. recognoissant, p. pr. of recognoistre to recognize, F. reconnaître, fr. L. recognoscere; pref. re- re- + cognoscere to know. See Cognizance, Know, and cf. Recognize, Reconnoissance.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “recognizance”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details