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 declared force majeure on some LNG contracts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

Still, “QatarEnergy declared force majeure on some supply contracts following last week’s attacks on its facilities,” ANZ analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

It warned it would be forced to declare force majeure for up to five years on some long-term LNG contracts, signalling it may be unable to fulfill the agreements.

From Barron's ● Mar. 24, 2026

It is almost as if any change in his manner, any concession to what is usual and esteemed, any amelioration of his blind, relentless exercises of force majeure, were a physical impossibility.

From A Book of Prefaces by H. L. (Henry Louis) Mencken