A Sunset Clause Makes a Law Expire
Sunset is the daily disappearance of the sun. In law and business, a sunset clause sets a date on which a rule automatically ends.
Sunset is the moment the sun drops below the horizon. Legislators borrowed the image: a *sunset clause* is a provision that switches a law off on a fixed date unless parliament actively renews it, which forces a review rather than letting an emergency measure quietly become permanent. The idea is much older than the phrase, which is American and twentieth-century.
- The sun going down. *Sunset at half past eight.*
- The colours of that moment. *A red sunset.*
- Sunset clause — an automatic expiry date. *A two-year sunset clause.*
- Sunset industry — one in long decline. *A sunset industry.*
- Ride off into the sunset — leave in triumph. *He rode off into the sunset.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | sunset | A late sunset. |
| Plural | sunsets | Winter sunsets. |
| Verb | sunset | The scheme was sunset. |
| Opposite | sunrise | Before sunrise. |
| Related | dusk | At dusk. |
- The gate closes at sunset.Practical.
- The powers carry a five-year sunset clause.Law.
- The old product line was sunset last year.The verb, business jargon.
Sunset, dusk, twilight
- Sunset — the exact moment the sun's upper edge disappears
- Twilight — the lit period before sunrise and after sunset
- Civil twilight — bright enough to read outdoors
- Nautical twilight — the horizon is still visible at sea
- Astronomical twilight — the last trace of sunlight in the sky
From *sun* plus *set*, recorded in English from the 1300s. The legislative sense is American and became common in the 1970s.
What is a sunset clause?
A provision that ends a law or agreement automatically on a set date unless it is deliberately renewed.
What is the difference between sunset and dusk?
Sunset is a moment; dusk is the darker part of the twilight that follows it.