Ultra vires (Latin for Beyond the powers) is a condition where a company engages in activities that exceed its authority or power as established in organizational documents such as objects clause, articles of incorporation, bylaws, charters, operating agreements, and such like. The doctrine of ultra vires is a constituent of corporate law that governs all contracts entered into by a company. As such, any contract that is beyond the scope of the company's corporate powers is deemed illegal. Ultra vires is the opposite of intra vires (Latin for Within the powers).

Once use it only incorporate cases, later in administrative law noe in constitutional law as well