recourse

Everyday

1. (formal) Recourse is a way of getting help or a solution when you are in trouble. tree →
2. (formal) To have recourse to something means to use it because you need to, often when other ways have failed. tree →
3. (law, formal) Recourse is the right to ask someone to pay you back or put a wrong right. tree →

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 →
• When the shop would not refund the broken toy, Mum's only recourse was to complain to the manager. tree →
• The sailors had no recourse but to swim for the shore. tree →
• Teachers should have recourse to punishment only when talking fails. tree →
• If the company cheats you, you have recourse to the law. tree →
• Without any recourse to the map, she found the way home. tree →
• Our last recourse was to ring Grandad for a lift. tree →
• But Jokwa had recourse to magic. tree →

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.