force majeure

/ˈfɔrs mɑˌʒʌr/

A force majeure is a calamity that is beyond anyone's control and changes life in unpredictable ways. A tornado that devastates your town is a force majeure.

The noun force majeure is a French term that literally means "greater force" or "superior strength." It's no ordinary occurrence, but something that is overwhelming and unexpected, like a war, a hurricane, or an asteroid landing on your roof. It's also a legally valid excuse for not fulfilling an obligation or contract — everyone involved will agree that it was unavoidable.

Definitions of force majeure

1. noun

   a natural and unavoidable catastrophe that interrupts the expected course of events
   synonyms: act of God, inevitable accident, unavoidable casualty, vis major

   type of:

   calamity, cataclysm, catastrophe, disaster, tragedy

   an event resulting in great loss and misfortune