: the closing or limitation of debate in a legislative body especially by calling for a vote
clotured; cloturing; clotures
: 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
Brian LymanExamples of cloture in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebJonathan Schlefer, Foreign Affairs, 15 Mar. 2021
The British equivalent of the cloture rule requires only a simple majority of the members of Parliament to be present to call the question; American-style filibustering is not allowed.
—Francis Fukuyama, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2014
Two more Senate votes — another confirmation vote and another cloture vote.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 9 July 2024
For Republicans to kill the Democratic filibuster that would ensue, the Republicans need 33 votes on a cloture motion.
—Aron Solomon, Newsweek, 9 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for cloture 
Noun
In general, to judge from the number of cloture motions to end filibusters, which have risen from zero or one per Congress in the 1950s to 328 in the most recent one, congressional elites have scored a new record in mutual antagonism.
—Jonathan Schlefer, Foreign Affairs, 15 Mar. 2021
The British equivalent of the cloture rule requires only a simple majority of the members of Parliament to be present to call the question; American-style filibustering is not allowed.
—Francis Fukuyama, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2014
Two more Senate votes — another confirmation vote and another cloture vote.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 9 July 2024
For Republicans to kill the Democratic filibuster that would ensue, the Republicans need 33 votes on a cloture motion.
—Aron Solomon, Newsweek, 9 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for cloture
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Cite this Entry
“Cloture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloture. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal 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
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