annul

/əˈnʌl/

/əˈnʌl/

Other forms: annulled; annulling; annuls; annulated

When a celebrity wakes up in Las Vegas with a mysterious wedding ring on her finger, the first thing she’ll probably want to do is annul the marriage. That will declare it invalid and officially cancel the whole deal.

Annul, which means “to cancel” or “to invalidate,” is usually used in the context of politics or marriage. New government officials often want to annul laws and policies of the previous post-holder, effectively reversing their work. When you annul a marriage, you are officially declaring it invalid, as if it never happened. In the case of the unfortunate celebrity marriage, however, it could be difficult to completely erase all record of the event — especially if the tabloids hear about it.

Definitions of annul

1. verb

   cancel officially
   synonyms: countermand, lift, overturn, repeal, rescind, reverse, revoke, vacate

   types:

   go back on, renege, renege on, renegue on

   fail to fulfill a promise or obligation

   type of:

   cancel, strike down

   declare null and void; make ineffective
2. verb

   declare invalid
   “The contract was annulled”

   synonyms: annihilate, avoid, invalidate, nullify, quash, void

   types:

   break

   invalidate by judicial action

   stet

   printing: cancel, as of a correction or deletion

   type of:

   cancel, strike down

   declare null and void; make ineffective