# clause

> English word · Noun · IPA /klɔːz/ · frequency rank #7,205

## Definitions
1. A group of words that contains a subject and a verb; it may be part of a sentence or may constitute the whole sentence, depending on the syntax in each instance.
2. A verb, its necessary grammatical arguments, and any adjuncts affecting them.
3. A verb along with its subject and their modifiers. If a clause provides a complete thought on its own, then it is an independent (superordinate) clause; otherwise, it is dependent (subordinate). (Independent clauses can be sentences; they can also be part of a sentence. Dependent clauses can only be part of a sentence.)
4. A distinct part of a contract, a will or another legal document.
5. A constituent (component) of a statement or query.

## Etymology
From Middle English clause, claus, borrowed from Old French clause, from Medieval Latin clausa (Latin diminutive clausula (“close, end; a clause, close of a period”)), from Latin clausus, past participle of claudere (“to shut, close”). See close, its doublet.

## Easily confused with
- **clue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clause-vs-clue)
- **close** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clause-vs-close)
- **claws** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clause-vs-claws)
- **clays** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clause-vs-clays)
- **coarse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clause-vs-coarse)
- **cleanse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clause-vs-cleanse)
- **case** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/case-vs-clause)
- **class** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/class-vs-clause)
- **cause** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cause-vs-clause)
- **chase** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chase-vs-clause)
- **cease** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cease-vs-clause)
- **clash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clash-vs-clause)
- **Clare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clare-vs-clause)
- **Claus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/claus-vs-clause)
- **clans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clans-vs-clause)
- **clams** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clams-vs-clause)
- **clasp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clasp-vs-clause)
- **claps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/claps-vs-clause)
- **caused** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/caused-vs-clause)
- **causes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/causes-vs-clause)

## Common misspellings (8)
`caluse`, `cclause`, `clasue`, `claues`, `clausse`, `cllause`, `cluase`, `lcause`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/clause