unenforceable contract

Meaning

1. 1nouncountablelegallaw

   A contract that a court will not make the parties carry out, usually because of a legal defect.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an unenforceable contract' or 'unenforceable contracts'.

   Patterns

   • an unenforceable contract against someone
   • declare a contract unenforceable
   • render a contract unenforceable

   The judge ruled that the agreement was an unenforceable contract because it lacked a signature.

   After the new law passed, many landlords found their old leases were unenforceable contracts.

   She signed what turned out to be an unenforceable contract, so she did not have to pay the penalty.

Word forms

Common combinations

declare a contract unenforceable

The court declared the contract unenforceable due to fraud.

render a contract unenforceable

Missing terms can render a contract unenforceable.

an unenforceable agreement

They had an unenforceable agreement that no lawyer would support.

legally unenforceable

The clause is legally unenforceable in this state.

Synonyms and how they differ

void contract

A void contract has no legal effect from the start, while an unenforceable contract may have some effect but cannot be enforced in court.

voidable contract

A voidable contract can be canceled by one party, but an unenforceable contract cannot be enforced by either party.

Opposites

Word family

enforce verb

To make people obey a rule or law.

enforceable adjective

Able to be enforced; legally valid.

enforcement noun

The act of making sure rules are obeyed.

Commonly confused: unenforceable contract or void contract? unenforceable contract or illegal contract?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “unenforceable contract”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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