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

Wells dismissed those fears on Thursday and said a previous clause in the draft legislation that would have granted ministerial powers to define harmful content had been removed.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

They are urging the government to use a break clause that would prevent the contract being renewed beyond March 2027.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

Walmart typically has a two-year noncompete clause for its former executives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

The panel cited the elections clause of the U.S.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 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

Here is a modest proposal: Lincoln Riley and Jim Harbaugh waive their buyout clauses and swap jobs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

The prime minister sought to frame the announcement on non-compete clauses as part of a wider government pitch to boost innovative sectors of the economy.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

The Premier League added new clauses to its regulations to set time frames around disciplinary processes and appeals in the summer.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Although contracted until the end of 2028, it was widely known there were performance-related clauses in his contract that allowed him to leave, and McLaren courted him in the summer.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

The longest of these embedded clauses, the third and the last, are also with commas or with or.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

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