noun

bail

/beɪl/ · say it: BAYL

money deposited to release an accused person before trial

In Law & Justice

In more detail

1. (noun) money paid to a court so that an accused person can be released from jail before their trial

2. (verb) to pay money to a court so that an accused person can be released from jail

3. (verb) to remove water from a boat using a container

4. (idiom) to leave a situation or stop being involved in something

Examples

1. The judge set bail at $50,000.
2. Her family bailed her out after she was arrested.
3. We had to bail out the water that was leaking into the boat.

How to use bail

Bail is primarily a legal term referring to money deposited to secure release from custody pending trial. In informal usage, bail out means to help someone in difficulty or to depart hastily from a situation. The nautical sense (removing water) is less common in modern English but appears in technical contexts.

Common phrases

post bail
pay bail
bail out
bail someone out
jump bail
bail money

Synonyms

bond · security · release · exit · abandon

Opposites

detain · confine · stay

Word family

bailout · bailable

A common mistake

Learners often confuse bail with bale (a bundle of hay) or conflate the legal meaning with bail out (informal departure), leading to incorrect usage in formal legal contexts.

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