Force majeure
Etymology
A French phrase meaning "superior force," from force, "force, strength," and majeure, "greater, major" (from Latin maior). It named an overwhelming, unforeseeable event that no diligence could prevent. Contract law adopted it for clauses that suspend or excuse obligations when such an event strikes.
noun phrase · /fors-mah-ZHUR/
An extraordinary event beyond anyone’s control that prevents a party from fulfilling a contract, and the clause that excuses them when it happens.
What it names
The contract provision everyone suddenly read during the pandemic — the one covering wars, disasters, and "acts of God" that make performance impossible.
Example
The airline invoked force majeure to escape penalties after the volcanic ash grounded every flight.
Related idea
Force majeure excuses a party from performing because of an outside catastrophe; indemnity does the opposite, actively assigning who pays when a loss occurs.