Meaning & use
sunset clause
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Meaning
nouncountablelegalbusiness
a part of a law or agreement that ends it automatically after a set time unless it is renewed.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a sunset clause' or 'sunset clauses'.
Patterns
- include a sunset clause
- have a sunset clause
- under a sunset clause
The contract includes a sunset clause that ends the deal in five years.
Lawmakers added a sunset clause so the new rules would not last forever.
Without a sunset clause, the policy could continue indefinitely.
Word forms
| plural | sunset clauses |
|---|
Common combinations
- add a sunset clause
- They agreed to add a sunset clause to the agreement.
- include a sunset clause
- The bill includes a sunset clause for the tax break.
- a sunset clause in a contract
- A sunset clause in the contract protects both sides.
- trigger a sunset clause
- The date triggered the sunset clause, ending the program.
Synonyms and how they differ
- expiration clause
- More general; it can refer to any ending, while sunset clause specifically means automatic ending after a fixed period.
Word family
- sunset provision noun
- a legal rule that ends something after a set time.
Commonly confused: sunset clause or sunrise clause?
sunset clause vs sunrise clause
A sunrise clause delays the start of something, while a sunset clause ends it.
Practice
The new regulation will automatically end in three years because it contains a ______.
Choose one answer.
'Sunset clause' is the legal term for an automatic ending after a period. 'Sunrise clause' would delay the start, and the other options are unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sunset clause”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.