clause

[ klawz ]

/ klɔz /

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See synonyms for: clause / clauses on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of clause

1175–1225; Middle English claus(e) (<Anglo-French ) <Medieval Latin clausa, back formation from Latin clausulaclausula

OTHER WORDS FROM clause

clausal, adjectivesub·claus·al, adjectivesubclause, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH clause

clause , claws

Words nearby clause

Claudine, Claudius, Claudius I, Claudius II, claught, clause, Clausewitz, Clausius, Clausius cycle, clausthalite, claustral

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use clause in a sentence

So far, TV networks have pushed back against agreeing to these enigmatic clauses.
‘Kind of squishy’: Advertisers lobby to add pandemic clauses to TV upfront deals|Tim Peterson|September 1, 2020|Digiday
The contract clause had an end date that was slowly approaching, so the question of when Avatar 2 was expected to release was critical.
‘The Dream Architects’: Inside the making of gaming’s biggest franchises|Rachel King|September 1, 2020|Fortune
The document in both cases includes the same clauses placing the burden on the city if things don’t go as planned.
The Deal Before the 101 Ash St. Debacle Helps Explain How We Got Here|Lisa Halverstadt and Jesse Marx|August 24, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Allied Universal’s contract also includes a clause stating that its video footage is not considered a public record, meaning members of the public need a court order to view footage recorded by more than two-thirds of the agency’s security force.
MTS Purged Body Camera Footage Before Man’s Attorney Could Access it|Lisa Halverstadt|July 21, 2020|Voice of San Diego

Her practice already had a digital platform compliant with health-related privacy laws and patient release forms that included a clause about telehealth.
Teletherapy is finally here to stay|Alexandra Ossola|July 5, 2020|Quartz
They would not, for example, supersede federal law regarding the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment.
A Field General in the War on Christmas|David Freedlander|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sanford hits back at Sullivan, who “has certainly not lived up to this clause.”
Mark Sanford’s Epic Facebook Overshare|Olivia Nuzzi|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Weird as the theory is, invoking “quantum physics” is not an escape clause from obeying physical laws.
Dear NASA: Fuel-Free Rocket Thruster Is Literally Too Good to Be True|Matthew R. Francis|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There may even be a clause in her contract by which she has to agree to certain content restrictions.
Sarah Palin Is Perfect for ‘The View’|Dean Obeidallah|July 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But an aspect that is particularly troubling is that such a clause exists at all.
Sex Workers Deserve Health Care, Too|Tauriq Moosa|May 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He added that lessening clause, remembering, quite simply, how much more brilliant he was than Nigel.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
The Act contained another practical clause, designed to block the construction of lines from political considerations.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
An insurance policy may be assigned, though it usually contains a clause that the consent of the insurer is needful.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
This clause was adopted, and James Madison for the first time attracted state-wide attention to his thinking and philosophy.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
His lordship next proceeded to the ten-pound qualification clause.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan

British Dictionary definitions for clause

clause

/ (klɔːz) /

noun

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

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

Derived forms of clause

clausal, adjective

Word Origin for clause

C13: from Old French, from Medieval Latin clausa a closing (of a rhetorical period), back formation from Latin clausula, from claudere to close

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for clause

clause

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

clause

Origin of clause

OTHER WORDS FROM clause

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH clause

Words nearby clause

Words related to clause

How to use clause in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for clause

Derived forms of clause

Word Origin for clause

Cultural definitions for clause