Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FORCE MAJEURE
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connect today's word to others:
Like it sounds, a force majeure is a major force: often a natural event, like a snowstorm, that interrupts normal business activities. Force majeure, along with the terms listed below, comes from the Latin maior or magjos, meaning "large or great." Can you recall all three?
1. A mag____ is a person who is very important and distinguished, usually in the world of business.
2. Someone mag_____ous has a big heart and is willing to forgive.
3. A mag___ o___ is the greatest work of art or piece of literature that someone has ever created.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"FORCE MAJEURE"
French for "superior strength" or "superior force," a force majeure is a powerful, uncontrollable event that messes up our plans.
Pronunciation:
FORCE mah ZUR
Part of speech:
Noun.
It's both a countable noun ("a force majeure," "two forces majeures," "many forces majeures")
and an uncountable noun ("the force majeure," "it depends on force majeure," "we bowed to force majeure").
Other forms:
In older texts, you'll see this term in italics to show that it's foreign--but not so much these days.
Pronounce the plural the same way, but spell it "forces majeures."
How to use it:
Examples of forces majeures include avalanches, tornadoes, thunderstorms, droughts, food shortages, work stoppages, protests, riots, warfare, and a sudden lack of access to water or electricity.
Talk about encountering a force majeure, declaring force majeure, acting (or reacting) under force majeure, surrendering to or submitting to a force majeure, or being interrupted, hindered, or harmed by a force majeure. (Or, flip that around and say that a force majeure is interrupting, hindering, or harming people and their activities and businesses.)
"Force majeure" pops up in legal contexts, where it's used as both a noun and an adjective. Force majeure clauses, force majeure statements, or force majeure notices excuse people and companies from completing their business as planned when it gets interrupted by, for example, weather, strikes, or war. Here's an example from TIME: "The government has already declared force majeure on the ports, citing the violence as a justification for its inability to export oil."
It's rare, but you can also call people and things forces majeures when they're neither sudden nor unexpected but just overwhelmingly powerful: "she became a force majeure in the industry," "they caved to the force majeure of public opinion." But if the plain phrase "major force" will do just fine, I recommend it instead.
examples:
In North Carolina this summer, tourism is taking a hit from a massive power outage. Hotels along the Outer Banks have surrendered to that force majeure, turning their customers away and issuing refunds.
As the drivers' strike grew violent, Shell canceled fuel deliveries, citing force majeure.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "force majeure" means when you can explain it without saying "a force that cannot be reckoned with" or "a catastrophe that interrupts business."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "According to the fine print, (someone or some company) can (fail to fulfill some obligation) under force majeure."
Example: "According to the fine print, the rental company can deny you a car--even if you have a reservation and no other way to get where you're going--under force majeure."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is "A Vocabulary of Movie Quotes."
Jean Picker Firstenberg at the American Film Institute (AFI) says, "Great movie quotes become part of our cultural vocabulary." I believe it! I bet you can recall, verbatim, any of the AFI's "100 Greatest Movie Quotes of All Time" if all I give you is a single word from the quote.
For example, if I give you the word KANSAS, I bet you can recite this: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," from The Wizard of Oz (1939).
I'll share each answer in the following issue. And we’ll work our way forward in time, starting with the oldest movies. Let’s play!
From the previous issue: From a 1942 film, what's the famous quote that includes the word GIN?
Answer: From Casablanca: "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."
Try this today: From a 1950 film, what's the famous quote that includes the word CLOSE-UP?
review today's word:
1. A close opposite of FORCE MAJEURE is
A. BEVY
B. CAPSTONE
C. NONENTITY
2. The issue of _____ was decided by force majeure: _____.
A. whom to hire .. five of the eight managers insisted on the first candidate
B. what to wear .. the dress code had been supplanted by a uniform
C. which crop to harvest first .. diseases destroyed all but one
Answers are below.
a final word:
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From Liesl's blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. C
2. C
Like it sounds, a force majeure is a major force: often a natural event, like a snowstorm, that interrupts normal business activities. Force majeure, along with the terms listed below, comes from the Latin maior or magjos, meaning "large or great." Can you recall all three?
"FORCE MAJEURE" French for "superior strength" or "superior force," a force majeure is a powerful, uncontrollable event that messes up our plans. Part of speech: Other forms:
In North Carolina this summer, tourism is taking a hit from a massive power outage. Hotels along the Outer Banks have surrendered to that force majeure, turning their customers away and issuing refunds.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "force majeure" means when you can explain it without saying "a force that cannot be reckoned with" or "a catastrophe that interrupts business."
Fill in the blanks: "According to the fine print, (someone or some company) can (fail to fulfill some obligation) under force majeure."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. A close opposite of FORCE MAJEURE is
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |