Annuls

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈnʌlz/

Definitions

1. Formally cancels or declares something invalid, nullifying its legal or official status
2. Makes an agreement or contract legally void and without effect by official act
3. Invalidates or reverses a decision, law, or arrangement so that it is no longer valid

Etymology: "Annuls" is the third-person singular form of "annul", so the story belongs to the verb itself. Its core is the Latin "nullus", meaning "none" or "not any", which sits inside the verb "annullare" with the prefix "ad-", "to". Put together, the original sense is close to "reduce to nothing", and that is exactly what the verb still does: it wipes out a decision, marriage or contract as if it had never existed. The word reached English through Old French "anuller", which passed the Latin form along, and it appeared in Middle English as "annullen". Its meaning has stayed remarkably faithful to that Latin root. Where many words drift far from their origins, this one still carries the idea of making something null, which is why a court can annul a marriage but cannot simply end one.

Synonyms: repeals, cancels, voids, rescinds, negates

Antonyms: validates, affirms, ratifies, establishes, confirms