Annul means to officiallyin a way authorized by an authority or organization cancel something or to declare that it is no longer legallyaccording to the law; with legal force valid. It is often used in formalappropriate for serious, official situations or language, legal, or official contexts.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /əˈnʌl/
Easy pronunciation: uh-NULL (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the second syllable.
Verb meaning to officially cancel or declare invalid.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Annul Meaning
to officially cancel something
Part of speech: verb
Definition: cancel officially
Example: The committee annulled the decision after new evidence came to light.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- rescind — A strong formal substitute when a decision, rule, or action is officially canceled.
- revoke — Works well when an authority officially takes back permission, a license, or a decision.
- repeal — Fits especially for laws or official rules being canceled.
- vacate — Used in formal contexts, especially for setting aside a judgment or order.
- countermand — Means officially canceling an order, usually in military or formal contexts.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Annul
Meaning 2
to say that something has no legal force
Part of speech: verb
Definition: declare invalid
Example: The court annulled the marriage.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- invalidate — A direct match when something is made legally or officially invalid.
- nullify — A strong formal synonym for making something legally ineffective.
- void — Common in legal language when an agreement or action is treated as having no effect.
- quash — Used when a court rejects or sets aside a decision or charge.
- avoid — An older, legal sense meaning to make something invalid, not the everyday meaning of 'stay away from'.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Annul Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- rescind
- revoke
- repeal
- invalidate
- nullify
- void
officially cancel
- rescind
- revoke
- repeal
- vacate
- countermand
declare legally invalid
- invalidate
- nullify
- void
- quash
- avoid
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse annul with annulment, the noun form.
- Do not use annul in the everyday sense of 'cancel a plan'; it is usually formal or legal.
- Do not confuse the legal sense of avoid with the everyday meaning of 'avoid something.'
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does annul mean in simple English?
Annul means to officially cancel something or to make it legally invalid.
Is annul a formal word?
Yes. It is mainly used in legal, official, or formal contexts.
What is a common example of annul?
People often say a court annulled a marriage, meaning the marriage was declared invalid.
What are strong synonyms for annul?
Strong synonyms include rescind, revoke, invalidate, nullify, and void, depending on the sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.