A parliamentary procedure used to end debate and force a vote on a measure, particularly in the U.S. Senate where it requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. It limits further debate to 30 hours and prevents unlimited discussion from blocking legislative action.
From French 'clôture' (closure or enclosure). Adopted by the U.S. Senate in 1917 as Rule XXII after a filibuster blocked President Wilson's proposal to arm merchant ships during World War I.
Cloture was the Senate's nuclear option before the actual 'nuclear option'—created because a small group of senators literally talked America out of World War I preparedness! The 60-vote threshold has become so central to modern governance that it's often called the 'real' requirement to pass legislation, even though it appears nowhere in the Constitution.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.