Annul
/əˈnʌl/
verbIntermediate📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning1 question
Definitions
1
To declare legally void and ineffective.
/əˈnʌl/
verbneutralIntermediate
General
To declare invalid; to make void.
The judge annulled the unfair contract.
💡 Simply: To cancel something officially.
More Examples
2
They sought to annul their marriage.
How It's Used
Legal
"The court annulled the marriage due to fraud."
Business
"The contract was annulled after a breach of agreement."
From Latin *annullare* "to make into a ring, to make circular," from *annulus* "ring." The sense of "to cancel" developed from the act of rendering something void or ineffective.
Historically, 'annul' was used more broadly, referring to the cancellation of any act or agreement. Its legal usage is now more prominent.
Memory tip
Think of 'un-null' - making something not null or void.
Word Origin
LanguageLatin
Original meaning
"to make into a ring; to make circular"
Base: annul
annul a contractannul a marriageannul a decision
Common misspellings
anulanull
Practice
Usage
10%Spoken
90%Written