pro bono

[proh boh-noh] / ˌproʊ ˈboʊ noʊ /

ADJECTIVE

without compensation

Synonyms

WEAK

done for free done without compensation for the public good

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney at the pro bono law firm Public Counsel, helped secure the 1986 court order.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

“It was Agent Crook who escalated,” Ricardo A. Nicol, a defense attorney who represented Hipolito pro bono, told the jury.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Gil found a Santa Fe firm and got legal help pro bono.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Hill claimed to be working pro bono, although the center’s IRS filings revealed hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees, and on one occasion he invented a phone conversation with me that never happened.

From Salon • Feb. 22, 2026

Realizing that I barely had enough money to pay for school supplies, let alone legal expenses, John suggested soliciting a big law firm because sometimes they do work pro bono.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers