Force majeure, sometimes, but erroneously, referred to as force majure, is a common clause in contracts which essentially frees both parties from liability or obligation when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the parties, such as a war, strike, riot, crime, epidemic, sudden legal changes, or an event described by the legal term "act of God", prevents one or both parties from fulfilling their obligations under the contract. In practice, most "force majeure" clauses do not excuse a party's non-performance entirely, but only suspend it for the duration of the "force majeure".