clause

American  

[klawz] / klɔz /

noun

• clauses
  plural

1. Grammar. a syntactic construction containing a subject and predicate and forming part of a sentence or constituting a whole simple sentence.

2. a distinct article or provision in a contract, treaty, will, or other formal or legal written document.

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clause British  

/ klɔːz /

noun

1. grammar a group of words, consisting of a subject and a predicate including a finite verb, that does not necessarily constitute a sentence See also main clause subordinate clause coordinate clause

2. a section of a legal document such as a contract, will, or draft statute

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clause Cultural  

1. A group of words in a sentence that contains a subject and predicate. (See dependent clause and independent clause.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subclause
  noun
• clausal
  adjective
• subclausal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• clauses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of clause

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English claus(e), from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin clausa, back formation from Latin clausula clausula

Explanation

A clause is a group of words with a subject and verb. That kind of clause is handy when talking about grammar. Another kind of clause is a provision or stipulation in a legal contract. Clause is a noun that comes from the old French clause, which, if we trace it way back, comes from the Latin clausula, “the end, a closing termination.” Around 1300, the “ending” implication of the word began to fade and was replaced by “article or section of a text.” In the grammatical sense, every sentence must have at least one independent clause. And in the legal sense, documents like prenuptial agreements or job contract often contain clauses.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

clause clauses

SB 344 contained an urgency clause, which allows the legislation to take effect immediately if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the bill into law.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

The 14th Amendment says that the citizenship clause applies to people who are “subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.”

From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026

They will pay an initial £65m, plus a potential £5m in add-ons, while the Seagulls have also negotiated a sell-on clause.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Of such solid stuff was the pound sterling made that nobody seems to have asked for an inflation-escalator clause.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

But while has also gained acceptance as a substitute for although or whereas at the beginning of a sentence or clause: While Grumpy can whistle, he prefers not to.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

In practice, these clauses don’t capture the complexity of surrogacy dynamics.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

Additionally, many of these contracts contain conditional requirements or cancellation clauses in case build-outs stall.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

But Marquez said an evacuation order would open up other resources for more residents, including home insurance clauses for homeowners that provides assistance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has warned that any deal to end the war "only has meaning when its clauses are valid and being implemented".

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

There always seem to be escape clauses which can account for anything.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Related Words

• article
• paragraph
• passage
• provision
• requirement
• section
• specification
• stipulation