clause

/klɔz/

/klɔz/

Other forms: clauses

A clause is a group of words with a subject and verb. That kind of clause is handy when talking about grammar. Another kind of clause is a provision or stipulation in a legal contract.

Clause is a noun that comes from the old French clause, which, if we trace it way back, comes from the Latin clausula, “the end, a closing termination.” Around 1300, the “ending” implication of the word began to fade and was replaced by “article or section of a text.” In the grammatical sense, every sentence must have at least one independent clause. And in the legal sense, documents like prenuptial agreements or job contract often contain clauses.

Definitions of clause

1. noun

   a separate section of a legal document (as a statute or contract or will)
   synonyms: article

   types:

   arbitration clause

   a clause in a contract providing for arbitration of disputes arising under the contract

   deductible

   a clause in an insurance policy that relieves the insurer of responsibility to pay the initial loss up to a stated amount

   double indemnity

   a clause in an insurance policy that provides for double the face value of the policy in the case of accidental death

   escalator, escalator clause

   a clause in a contract that provides for an increase or a decrease in wages or prices or benefits etc. depending on certain conditions (as a change in the cost of living index)

   joker

   an inconspicuous clause in a document or bill that affects its meaning in a way that is not immediately apparent

   reserve clause

   a clause that used to be part of the contract with a professional athlete extending the contract for a year beyond its expiration

   rider

   a clause that is appended to a legislative bill

   type of:

   section, subdivision

   a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)
2. noun

   (grammar) an expression including a subject and predicate but not constituting a complete sentence
   types:

   independent clause, main clause

   a clause in a complex sentence that can stand alone as a complete sentence

   coordinate clause

   a clause in a complex sentence that is grammatically equivalent to the main clause and that performs the same grammatical function

   dependent clause, subordinate clause

   a section in a complex sentence that cannot stand alone and that functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb

   relative clause

   a clause introduced by a relative pronoun

   restrictive clause

   a subordinate clause that limits or restricts the meaning of the noun phrase it modifies

   descriptive clause, nonrestrictive clause

   a subordinate clause that does not limit or restrict the meaning of the noun phrase it modifies

   type of:

   construction, expression, grammatical construction

   a group of words that form a constituent of a sentence and are considered as a single unit