cloture

1 of 2

noun

clo·​ture ˈklō-chər How to pronounce cloture (audio)
: the closing or limitation of debate in a legislative body especially by calling for a vote

cloture

2 of 2

verb

clotured; cloturing; clotures

transitive verb

: to close (debate) in a legislative body by cloture
Debate over the bill was short Tuesday evening. After an initial debate Tuesday afternoon, Senate Republicans clotured debate when the bill returned later in the day.Brian Lyman

Examples of cloture in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Because of that, Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate to invoke cloture on the House CR. Claudia Grisales, NPR, 13 Mar. 2025 Prospective Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will also get a cloture vote Wednesday afternoon. Nick Sobczyk, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025 The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which easily passed the House last week, is scheduled for a floor debate Wednesday, after a vote to invoke cloture planned for late Monday. Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 16 Dec. 2024 The passage of the cloture motion means there will be 30 hours of debate on the Senate floor, setting up Gabbard’s final confirmation vote on Wednesday when the debate time expires. Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cloture

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French clôture, literally, closure, alteration of Middle French closure

First Known Use

Noun

1871, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1886, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cloture was in 1871

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Cite this Entry

“Cloture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloture. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

Legal Definition

cloture

noun
clo·​ture ˈklō-chər How to pronounce cloture (audio)
: the closing or limitation of debate in a legislative body especially by calling for a vote
cloture transitive verb
Etymology

Noun

French clôture, literally, closure

More from Merriam-Webster on cloture

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