force majeure
UK /ˌfɔːs mæˈʒɜː/ · US /ˌfoɹs mɑˈʒɜɹ/ noun
Forms forces majeures
- noun An overwhelming force.
- noun (law) An unavoidable circumstance, especially one that prevents someone from fulfilling a legal (usually contractual) obligation.
Synonyms
act of God vis major inevitable accident unavoidable casualty
Etymology
Borrowed from French force majeure (“an exceptionally strong or superior force; (law) an unavoidable circumstance that prevents someone from fulfilling a legal obligation”), from force (“a force”) (ultimately from Latin fortis (“powerful, strong”)) + majeure (the feminine singular of majeur (“of great importance, major”), ultimately from Latin maior (“greater; large”),).
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “force majeure”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details