Okuzeka
Contract & Commercial Law vocabulary · Breach & Remedies

Frustration

Meaning in contract & commercial law, with examples

/frʌˈstreɪʃn/nounAdvanced term

In contract & commercial law, frustration means: The automatic ending of a contract when an unforeseen event that neither party is responsible for makes performance impossible or radically different from what was agreed.

In Turkish: ifa imkansızlığı, sözleşmenin amacının boşa çıkması

How it is used

An English law doctrine that courts apply very narrowly: a contract becoming more expensive or difficult is not enough. Because frustration is hard to prove, parties rely mainly on force majeure clauses. Lawyers say a contract 'is frustrated'.

Example sentences

  1. The court held that the lease was not ended by frustration, even though the shop had to close for months.

  2. English courts rarely accept frustration of contract.

Common collocations

  • frustration of contract
  • doctrine of frustration
  • frustrating event
  • plead frustration
  • force majeureAn unforeseeable event outside the parties' control, such as a natural disaster or war, that prevents a party from performing; a force majeure clause may suspend or excuse performance.
  • terminateTo end a contract officially, for example because the other party has breached it, or by giving the notice that the contract allows.
  • breach of contractFailure by a party to do what it promised in a contract, for example paying late, delivering faulty goods or not delivering at all.
  • liabilityLegal responsibility for something, especially the duty to pay compensation for loss or harm; in accounting, also a debt that a business owes.

More terms: Breach & Remedies

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.