vis major

[ vis-mey-jer ]
See synonyms for vis major on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural vi·res ma·jo·res [vahy-reez muh-jawr-eez, -jor-], /ˈvaɪ riz məˈdʒɔr iz, -ˌdʒɒr-/, Law.

Origin of vis major

1
First recorded in 1595–1605, vis major is from Latin vīs major “greater force”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use vis major in a sentence

  • Nationalization is the cardinal fact, the vis major, on each side.

    The Brothers' War | John Calvin Reed
  • When I say that you ought to choose, I except vis major and fear, which destroy all power of choice.

  • It suggested some vis major—perhaps a locomotive, which no one cares to encounter.

    Geoffrey Hampstead | Thomas Stinson Jarvis

British Dictionary definitions for vis major

vis major

/ (ˈvɪs ˈmeɪdʒə) /


Origin of vis major

1
from Latin, literally: greater force

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