force majeure

American  

[fawrs ma-zhœr] / fɔrs maˈʒœr /

noun

Law.

• forces majeures
  plural

1. an unexpected and disruptive event that may operate to excuse a party from a contract.

---

force majeure British  

/ ˈfɔːs mæˈʒɜː, -ˈdʒʊə /

noun

1. law irresistible force or compulsion such as will excuse a party from performing his or her part of a contract

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• forces majeures
  plural

Etymology

Origin of force majeure

First recorded in 1880–85; from French: literally, “superior force”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

force majeure

Earlier this month, less than two weeks before the attacks, a clause was added to their contracts, including drone attacks in the list of "force majeure events" for which Wildberries is not liable.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

QatarEnergy’s force majeure declaration may not have an immediate impact on MISC’s LNG carrier fleet, as charter payments remain protected under existing contracts, she says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

Qatar has already stopped liquefied natural gas production and, along with energy producers in Kuwait and Bahrain, declared force majeure.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

“Many customers remain unaffected but we have had to declare force majeure in some cases for certain products,” a spokesperson said Monday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026

It was not age that caused him to leave his romantic profession; nor unworthiness of its traditions, nor gun-shot wound, nor drink; but grim necessity and force majeure.

From Tales of Wonder by Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, Baron Dunsany