Revocableness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state of being capable of being revoked or annulled
2. Describing something that can be taken back or reversed without permanent effects
3. A characteristic indicating that an action or decision may be withdrawn or canceled

Etymology: "Revocableness" is a plain formation: the adjective "revocable" with the suffix "-ness" added to turn it into a noun for a quality or state. The adjective "revocable" comes from the verb "revoke," which traces back through Old French "revoquer" to Latin "revocare," meaning "to call back." That original sense of recalling something is still visible in the word's meaning: a revocable grant or permission is one that can be called back. The suffix "-ness" is native English, descended from Old English "-nes(s)," and it has long been the ordinary way to turn an adjective into an abstract noun, as in "kindness" or "darkness." Attaching it to "revocable" gives a noun that names the condition of being able to be withdrawn or cancelled. Because it is a transparent compound of this kind, its meaning can be worked out directly from its two parts.

Synonyms: retractability

Antonyms: irrevocability