cloture

1 of 2

noun

clo·​ture ˈklō-chər 

: 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

Noun

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture Monday on the nominations of McFerran, a Democrat, to remain for another five-year term on the National Labor Relations Board. —Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2024

Had the two senators voted for cloture on her renomination, Democrats could have held a majority on the board through 2026. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024

Schumer filed cloture on Monday on another five-year term for McFerran, setting up a procedural vote on Wednesday. —Axios, 9 Dec. 2024

Such is the nature of structural changes to our system; such has been the nature of prior revisions to Senate cloture rules. —The Editors, National Review, 26 Sep. 2024

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

Legal Definition

cloture

noun

clo·​ture ˈklō-chər 

: 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