Clause
/klɔːz/noun
A distinct section of a legal document or a grammatical unit containing a subject and predicate.
Did you know?Clause comes from Latin clausula, a “little close” or closing, from claudere, the same root behind words of shutting, locking, and enclosure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kleh₂u-
“to shut, close”
Latin
Latin
claudere
“to shut, close, block up”
Latin
Latin
clausula
“a closing, a little close; a short concluding section”
Old French
Old French
clause
“a clause, a legal or textual closing section”
Middle English
English
clause
“a section or division of a legal document or sentence”
Modern English
English
clause
“a distinct grammatical or legal section”