Dictionary

force majeure en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /-mə-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌfɔːs mæˈʒɜː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Received-Pronunciation) audio
• /ˌfoɹs mɑˈʒɜɹ/ (General-American)

Etymology

PIE word *méǵh₂s Borrowed from French force majeure (“an exceptionally strong or superior force; (law) an unavoidable circumstance that prevents someone from fulfilling a legal obligation”), from force (“a force”) (ultimately from Latin fortis (“powerful, strong”)) + majeure (the feminine singular of majeur (“of great importance, major”), ultimately from Latin maior (“greater; large”),).

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) An overwhelming force.
   • They [children] realize their oughts no less sharply than their crosses; and this even though they are midgets in a land of giants who have forgotten much of their language and whose right is often founded solely on force majeure. 1930, Walter de la Mare, Poems for Children, London: Constable & Co., →OCLC, page xxix; republished in “[The Children’s Bookshop] Children and Childhood”, in Henry Seidel Canby, editor, The Saturday Review of Literature, volume VII, number 9, New York, N.Y.: Saturday Review Associates, 20 September 1930, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 151, column 2:
   • Gen Y is a "force majeure" that will determine the future of the housing market. They are looking for housing solutions that cater to their mobile- and technology-focused lifestyles. 2013 October 31, “A&E 2013 Surveys: Weber Thompson”, in Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland, Or.: Daily Journal of Commerce, Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 23 Nov 2021:
2. (uncountable, usually) An unavoidable circumstance, especially one that prevents someone from fulfilling a legal (usually contractual) obligation.
   • Less than two weeks before the first strikes, Wildberries had changed its terms, classifying drone attacks as force majeure and absolving itself of any obligation to compensate merchants for lost goods. 2026 July 25, Max Seddon, Anastasia Stognei, “Ukraine hits a Putin weak spot with attacks on online retailer Wildberries”, in FT Weekend, London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 3:
   • 18. GNM [Guardian News & Media Limited] shall not be liable for any failure to comply with its obligations where the failure is caused by something outside its reasonable control. Such circumstances shall include, but not be limited to, weather conditions, fire, flood, hurricane, strike, industrial dispute, war, hostilities, political unrest, riots, civil commotion, inevitable accidents, supervening legislation or any other circumstances amounting to force majeure. 2013 November 3, “Observer Magazine Competition: Win a Moncrief bag and Ipad case! [terms and conditions]”, in The Observer, London, archived from the original on 23 Nov 2021:
   • Dated 14 July, the letter from the Russian state gas monopoly said it was declaring force majeure on supplies, starting from 14 June. Known as an "act of God" clause, a force majeure clause is standard in business contracts and spells out extreme circumstances that excuse a party from their legal obligations. 2022 July 18, Reuters, “Russia’s Gazprom tells European buyers it cannot guarantee gas supplies”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 Sep 2022:
   • Brazil's largest trader of sugar and ethanol declared force majeure to some third party exporters of sugar with contracts to ship through its Santos Port terminal that burned down on Friday, sources in the sugar trade said. 2013 October 22, “Brazil’s Copersucar Declares Force Majeure to 3rd Party Sugar Shippers”, in Reuters, archived from the original on 17 Nov 2023:

Forms

Relateds

act of God · vis major

Translations (67)

ru непреодоли́мая си́ла (overwhelming force) · ka ფორს-მაჟორი ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · ky аргасыз жагдай ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · tl force majeure ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · rsk висша сила (overwhelming force) · li övermach ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · it forza maggiore ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · id force majeure ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · pl siła wyższa (overwhelming force) · tt форс-мажор ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · he כוח עליון ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · id keadaan kahar ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · kk форс-мажор ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · fi force majeure ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · it caso fortuito ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · sd اوچتي صورتحال ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · lt nenugalima jėga ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · cmn 不可抗力 (overwhelming force) · li force majeure ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · cy gorfodaeth (overwhelming force) · nb force majeure ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · ko 불가항력 ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · pl siła wyższa ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · tr mücbir sebep ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · ky форс-мажор ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · id keadaan memaksa ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · ko 불가항력 (overwhelming force) · vi bất khả kháng ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · es fuerza mayor ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · de höhere Gewalt ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · pt força maior (overwhelming force) · sv force majeure ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · pt força maior ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · uk форс-мажо́р ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · fr force majeure (overwhelming force) · la vīs maior ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · et vääramatu jõud ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · nl toeval ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · cmn 不可抗力 ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · sl višja sila (overwhelming force) · id keadaan kahar (overwhelming force) · fr cas fortuit ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · fa فرس ماژور ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · cy gorfodaeth ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · fi päätekijä (overwhelming force) · ca causa major ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · ja 不可抗力 ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · csb namienienié ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · nl overmacht (overwhelming force) · nl oppermacht (overwhelming force) · ar قوة قاهرة ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · hy անհաղթահարելի ուժ ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · cs vyšší moc ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · cy force majeure ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · ru форс-мажо́р ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · az fors-major ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · da force majeure ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · ja 不可抗力 (overwhelming force) · tr fors majör ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · eu ezinbesteko kasu ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · nl overmacht ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · fi ylivoimainen este ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · el ανωτέρα βία ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · fr force majeure ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · ca força major ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · ckb هێزى هەرەزاڵ ((law) unavoidable circumstance) · es caso fortuito ((law) unavoidable circumstance)