Grandfather Clause (Noun)
Meaning
An exemption based on circumstances existing prior to the adoption of some policy; used to enfranchise illiterate whites in south after the American Civil War.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- The grandfather clause was added to the law to exempt existing businesses from the new regulations, as long as they had been operating for at least five years.
- Southerners used the grandfather clause to disenfranchise African Americans while protecting the voting rights of illiterate whites.
- The older residents of the community were protected by a grandfather clause that allowed them to continue using the local park for free.
- The law included a grandfather clause that exempted farmers who had been using pesticides for more than ten years from the new safety regulations.
- A grandfather clause in the company's pension plan allowed employees who had been working there for over 20 years to retire earlier than the new policy allowed.