Annulable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Subject to the potential of being declared void and ineffective
2. Able to be voided or reversed by official action
3. Having the quality that allows a legal or formal decision to cancel it

Etymology: "Annul" carries its meaning in its construction. It comes from Medieval Latin "annullare," formed from the prefix "ad-" and "nullum," meaning "nothing." To annul something is, quite literally, to reduce it to nothing. "Nullum" itself combines "ne-," meaning "not," with "ullus," meaning "any," so the root is a negation of anything at all. The adjective adds the suffix "-able," from Latin "-abilis," meaning "able to be" or "capable of being." The same ending appears in "readable" and "washable." Put together, the word describes something that is capable of being made void, a contract or decision that can be nullified.

Synonyms: voidable

Antonyms: valid