What does recourse mean?
Recourse means a source of help, support, or assistance, especially when a person or organization must turn to another party for a solution. Its most common construction is "have recourse to," followed by a person, institution, document, or method: a tenant might have recourse to a mediator, while a researcher might have recourse to an archive. The word can also refer to a course of action available in difficult circumstances, often with the implication that it is a fallback rather than the first choice. Because "recourse" is relatively formal, it appears frequently in legal, institutional, and professional contexts. It conveys not merely the existence of help but the act of seeking it or the possibility of doing so, making it especially useful when describing what remains available after other options have failed.
nounA source of help, assistance, or support. It can also mean a course of action available to someone when another option is unsuitable or unavailable.
- A source of help, assistance, or support.
- A course of action available when another option is unsuitable or unavailable.
"When the manual provided no answer, she had recourse to the manufacturer's customer-support team."
"The clinic had recourse to specialist testing when the initial results were inconclusive."
"Employers should not have recourse to dismissal without first following the appropriate procedure."
Usually encountered in formal or literary contexts, especially in the sense of available resources or possible courses of action.
"The stranded travelers had few recourses once the storm cut off the road."
Recourse literally means running back to a source for help: the word was born from the idea of turning back toward support.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of recourse
Recourse entered English in the late 15th century from French recours, a word meaning a source of help or a means of returning. French recours derives from Latin recurrere, formed from re- "back" and currere "to run," literally suggesting a running back. English recur, recurrence, and recurrent come from the same Latin root, while current ultimately belongs to a related family of Latin words connected with running or movement.
How recourse is actually used
Recourse is formal and commonly occurs in the expression "have recourse to," meaning to turn to a person, organization, or method for help. It can suggest that the available option is not necessarily the preferred one.
Easily confused with recourse
A recourse is a source of help or a possible course of action, whereas a resource is something useful or available for achieving a purpose.