verb
annul
uh-NUHL
verb
1
To officially declare something invalid or void, as if it never legally existed.
"The court annulled the contract due to fraud."
"They had their marriage annulled after just three months."
How to Use Annul
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo cancel something formally so that, legally, it's treated as if it never happened.
Common mistake
Annulling a marriage is different from divorce — an annulment treats the marriage as if it never legally existed, while a divorce ends a marriage that did exist.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
annul a marriage
annul a contract
annul a law
Word Forms
annulled past tense, annuls singular
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Etymology
From Old French anuler, from Latin annullo, "to bring to nothing" — from ad- ("to") plus nullus ("none").