act of nature

Primary tabs

Act of nature, also known as act of God, is an event that is caused solely by the forces of nature without human intervention. Any accident that is not under human control, influence, or human involvement, and is caused purely by the direct, individual action of natural forces, and could not have been avoided by foresight, an appropriate degree of care or effort, or the use of any instrument, is considered to be due to act of nature. It may also refer to an accident caused by an uncontrollable physical cause, such as lightning, tornado, blizzard, earthquake, sea hazard, etc.

[Last updated in November of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]