annul
To officially declare a legal agreement, decision, or marriage invalid and void, treating it as if it never existed. It is primarily used in legal and formal contexts to revoke the legitimacy of an act or contract.
Examples
3 of 5The couple decided to annul their marriage after realizing they had made a mistake only weeks later.
The couple decided to void their marriage after realizing they had made a mistake only weeks later.
The High Court moved to annul the lower court's ruling on the grounds of procedural error.
The High Court moved to invalidate the lower court's ruling on the grounds of procedural error.
I'd love to just annul that awkward conversation we had and start over.
I'd love to just wipe out that awkward conversation we had and start over.
Word Family
Memory Tip
Think of the word 'a-NULL'. You are making something 'NULL' (zero/nothing) in the eyes of the law.
Quick Quiz
Because the evidence was tampered with, the judge decided to ____ the original verdict.
Correct!
The correct answer is: annul
Examples
The couple decided to annul their marriage after realizing they had made a mistake only weeks later.
everydayThe couple decided to void their marriage after realizing they had made a mistake only weeks later.
The High Court moved to annul the lower court's ruling on the grounds of procedural error.
formalThe High Court moved to invalidate the lower court's ruling on the grounds of procedural error.
I'd love to just annul that awkward conversation we had and start over.
informalI'd love to just wipe out that awkward conversation we had and start over.
Political theorists argue that the power to annul legislation should be balanced across different branches of government.
academicPolitical theorists argue that the power to void legislation should be balanced across different branches of government.
Our legal department is looking for a loophole to annul the contract without paying a penalty.
businessOur legal department is looking for a loophole to cancel the contract without paying a penalty.
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
petition to annul
a formal request to have something declared void
decree of annulment
an official legal document stating a marriage is void
power to annul
the legal authority to invalidate something
Often Confused With
Cancel means to stop something that is currently in progress, while annul means to declare that it was never valid to begin with.
Nullify is more general and can mean to make something lose its effect; annul is specifically the legal act of declaring something void.
Usage Notes
Annul is a highly formal word usually reserved for the legal system or high-level bureaucracy. It implies that the thing being annulled is not just stopped, but its entire history of existence is legally erased.
Common Mistakes
Learners often use 'annul' for casual cancellations, like a gym membership or a dinner reservation. Use 'cancel' for these; use 'annul' only for formal, legal contexts.
Memory Tip
Think of the word 'a-NULL'. You are making something 'NULL' (zero/nothing) in the eyes of the law.
Word Origin
Derived from the Late Latin 'annullare', which comes from 'ad' (to) + 'nullum' (nothing).
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
In many religious traditions, such as the Catholic Church, an annulment is distinct from a divorce because it posits that the spiritual bond of marriage was never properly formed.
Quick Quiz
Because the evidence was tampered with, the judge decided to ____ the original verdict.
Correct!
The correct answer is: annul
Related Vocabulary
Related Words
to
A1Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.
and
A1A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.
a
A1A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.
that
A1This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.
I
A1The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.
for
A1Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
not
A1A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.
with
A1A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
he
A1A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
you
A1Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
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