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

That availability goes for both pro bono clients and for paid clients.

From Slate • Mar. 5, 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

Mary Miller and the Guardian ad Litem Program staff headed the guest list, which also included Martha Cook, who had been my pro bono Attorney ad Litem.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter