force majeure

[Fr. fawrs ma-zhœr] Origin

force ma·jeure

[Fr. fawrs ma-zhœr]
noun, plural forces majeures [Fr. fawrs ma-zhœr] . Law.
an unexpected and disruptive event that may operate to excuse a party from a contract.

Origin:
1880–85; < French: literally, superior force
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To force majeure

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Force majeure is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
Collins
World English Dictionary
force majeure (ˈfɔːs mæˈʒɜː, -ˈdʒʊə)
 
n
law irresistible force or compulsion such as will excuse a party from performing his or her part of a contract
 
[from French: superior force]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

force majeure
1883, from Fr., lit. superior strength.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature