Meaning & use
clause
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Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
A group of words that has its own subject and verb and forms part of a sentence.
Grammar: A clause needs a subject and a verb: when she arrived is a clause, but on the table is not.
Patterns
- a clause of something
- a clause beginning with something
In the sentence, the clause that she wrote tells us which book.
A subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence.
The sentence has two clauses joined by and.
nouncountablelegal
A separate item or condition in a contract, law or other formal document.
Grammar: Used with in or of: a clause in the lease.
Patterns
- a clause in something
- a clause stating something
The lease contains a clause that forbids pets.
A clause in the contract lets either side cancel with notice.
Lawyers argued over the meaning of the final clause.
Word forms
| plural | clauses |
|---|
Common combinations
- main clause
- The main clause can stand alone as a sentence.
- subordinate clause
- The subordinate clause begins with although.
- relative clause
- A relative clause gives extra detail about a noun.
- escape clause
- The contract has an escape clause for emergencies.
- insert a clause
- They agreed to insert a clause on late payments.
- if clause
- The if clause states the condition.
Synonyms and how they differ
- provision
- Provision is the legal word for a condition within a document, but it has no grammar use.
- term
- Term is a condition of an agreement, usually less formally set out than a numbered clause.
- article
- An article is a numbered section of a constitution or treaty, and it can contain several clauses.
- stipulation
- A stipulation is a demand or requirement that is written into an agreement, and it is narrower than clause.
Word family
- clausal adjective
- relating to a clause
- subclause noun
- a smaller clause within a longer one
Commonly confused: clause or claws? clause or phrase?
clause vs claws
Claws sounds the same but means the sharp nails of an animal.
clause vs phrase
A phrase is a group of words without its own subject and verb, whereas a clause has both.
Practice
Which group of words is a clause?
Choose one answer.
A clause contains a subject and a verb, as in the rain stopped. The other options are phrases with no verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “clause”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.