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Force majeure translates literally from French as superior force. In English, the term is often used in line with its literal French meaning, but it has other uses as well, including one that has roots in a principle of French law. In business circles, "force majeure" describes those uncontrollable events (such as war, labor stoppages, or extreme weather) that are not the fault of any party and that make it difficult or impossible to carry out normal business. A company may insert a force majeure clause into a contract to absolve itself from liability in the event it cannot fulfill the terms of a contract (or if attempting to do so will result in loss or damage of goods) for reasons beyond its control.

Examples of force majeure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This is a growth sector, expanding incrementally as warming temperatures increase the frequency of force majeure. — Justin Beal, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2021 Ford wrote in his ruling that Under Armour failed to establish that its termination of the agreement was clearly permitted under a force majeure clause. — Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2021 The latest round of talks was triggered when MLS owners in December invoked a force majeure clause in the previous CBA. — Pat Brennan, The Enquirer, 3 Aug. 2021 If a new government order comes out that actually restricts you from doing something, then that would constitute force majeure. — Samantha Hissong, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2021 These weather events will all likely constitute events of force majeure and having a contract that relieves the manufacturer or supplier of liability for performance will not help a franchisor recover from supply chain disruption. — Joyce Mazero, Forbes, 29 June 2021 Lamb counseled promoters of independent festivals on strategies for cancellations, ticket refunds, insurance and force majeure, the conditions that prevented parties from fulfilling contracts. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2021 The city, via the force majeure clause, waived $377,668.96 in payment from the baseball team. — Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 25 May 2021 EasyJet pointed out that the contract contained no force majeure clause. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 18 May 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'force majeure.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

14 Sep 2021

Cite this Entry

“Force majeure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/force%20majeure. Accessed 26 Sep. 2021.

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