Synonyms

force majeure

American

[fawrs ma-zhœr] / fɔrs maˈʒœr /

noun

Law.

plural

forces majeures

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

force majeure British

/ ˈfɔːs mæˈʒɜː, -ˈdʒʊə /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of force majeure

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“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

Purchasers have also been hit by the fact that many pre-war contracts governing prices have been suspended as producers cite "force majeure," forcing reliance on higher spot market prices.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

QatarEnergy declared force majeure on some LNG contracts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

"Our results are most consistent with people moving under force majeure, relying on family networks to navigate crisis."

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026

Miss Dobbs suddenly felt that it was a case for force majeure.

From The Sailor by Snaith, J. C.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023