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Force majeure

//ˌfɔːs mæˈʒɜː// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An overwhelming force. uncountable, usually

    "They [children] realize their oughts no less sharply than their crosses; and this even though they are midgets in a land of giants who have forgotten much of their language and whose right is often founded solely on force majeure."

  2. 2
    a natural and unavoidable catastrophe that interrupts the expected course of events wordnet
  3. 3
    An unavoidable circumstance, especially one that prevents someone from fulfilling a legal (usually contractual) obligation. uncountable, usually

    "Brazil's largest trader of sugar and ethanol declared force majeure to some third party exporters of sugar with contracts to ship through its Santos Port terminal that burned down on Friday, sources in the sugar trade said."

Etymology

PIE word *méǵh₂s Borrowed from French force majeure (“exceptionally strong or superior force; (law) unavoidable circumstance that prevents someone from fulfilling a legal obligation”), from force (“force”) (ultimately from Latin fortis (“powerful, strong”)) + majeure (the feminine singular of majeur (“of great importance, major”), ultimately from Latin maior (“greater; large”),).

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