grandfather clauses

English - English

Definition of grandfather clauses in English English dictionary

plural form of grandfather clause

Related Terms

grandfather clause

A clause or section, especially in a law, granting exceptions for people or organisations who were affected by previous conditions

Many building codes include a grandfather clause exempting older buildings until some amount of remodeling occurs.

grandfather clause

A clause in the constitutions of several southern states before the year 1915, intended to disfranchise African Americans by exempting from stringent voting requirements all lineal descendants of persons who were registered voters before 1867

grandfather clause

A provision in a statute that exempts those already involved in a regulated activity or business from the new regulations established by the statute

grandfather clause

Constitutional provision enacted by seven Southern U.S. states (1895-1910) to deny suffrage to African American men. It exempted descendants of men who voted before 1867 from meeting new literacy and property requirements. Since African American men were not granted voting rights until passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870, this clause effectively prevented them, and many impoverished and illiterate whites, from voting. The U.S. Supreme Court declared such clauses unconstitutional in 1915

grandfather clause

an exemption based on circumstances existing prior to the adoption of some policy; used to enfranchise illiterate whites in US south after the Civil War

Hyphenation

grand·fa·ther clauses

Turkish pronunciation

grändfädhır klôzız

Pronunciation

/ˈgrandˌfäᴛʜər ˈklôzəz/ /ˈɡrændˌfɑːðɜr ˈklɔːzəz/