[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/recourse/)

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# recourse

noun (recourse — usually uncountable)

«recourse» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (formal) Recourse is a way of getting help or a solution when you are in trouble. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/recourse/#m1)
2. (formal) To have recourse to something means to use it because you need to, often when other ways have failed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/recourse/#m2)
3. (law, formal) Recourse is the right to ask someone to pay you back or put a wrong right. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/recourse/#m3)

### In the lessons

It belongs to the stiff, official voice of exams, letters and rules: «without recourse to calculators» means you may not use calculators. In everyday life it appears in notices about complaints and money. Phrases: «have recourse to», «without recourse to», «the only recourse», «legal recourse».

### Examples

- Answer the questions without recourse to a calculator. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/recourse/#x1)
- When the shop would not refund the broken toy, Mum's only recourse was to complain to the manager. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/recourse/#x2)
- The sailors had no recourse but to swim for the shore. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/recourse/#x3)
- Teachers should have recourse to punishment only when talking fails. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/recourse/#x4)
- If the company cheats you, you have recourse to the law. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/recourse/#x5)
- Without any recourse to the map, she found the way home. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/recourse/#x6)
- Our last recourse was to ring Grandad for a lift. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/recourse/#x7)
- But Jokwa had recourse to magic. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/recourse/#x8)

### Note

Formal word; in everyday talk people say «without using», «turn to» or «choice». Uncountable: say «no recourse», not «a recourse» (rare). Do not confuse with «resource» (something useful you have, like water or money) — they look alike but mean different things. In an exam, «without recourse to a calculator» means work it out by hand.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «recourse» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/recourse/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«recourse» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/recourse.html) on Mova free.