Act of God
Preserved but no longer current.
Loss arising from the action of forces uncontrollable by man, such as a hurricane, lightning, etc., is said to be due to an "act of God," and hence has no legal redress. A Devonshire jury once found — "That deceased died by the act of God, brought about by the flooded condition of the river.
tổn thất phát sinh từ các lực lượng không thể kiểm soát được của con người
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Act of God” mean?
Loss arising from the action of forces uncontrollable by man, such as a hurricane, lightning, etc., is said to be due to an "act of God," and hence has no legal redress. A Devonshire jury once found — "That deceased died by the act of God, brought about by the flooded condition of the river.
Is “Act of God” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.