annul
Americanverb (used with object)
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annuls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
annulled,
past participle, past
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annulling
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
annulsimple
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annulssimple
-
have annulledperfect
-
has annulledperfect
-
am annullingprogressive
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are annullingprogressive
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is annullingprogressive
-
have been annullingperfect progressive
-
has been annullingperfect progressive
Past
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annulledsimple
-
had annulledperfect
-
was annullingprogressive
-
were annullingprogressive
-
had been annullingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of annul
1375–1425; late Middle English < Anglo-French annuler < Late Latin adnūllāre render null (calque of Greek exoudeneîn ), equivalent to ad- ad- + -nullāre, verbal derivative of Latin nūllus no, not any
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing annul
"Revolution 2.0," Vocabulary from the memoir
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Chapter 20: Renaissance and Reformation
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"A Story Without an End" by Mark Twain
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Klein & Wilson, a law firm based in Newport Beach, Calif., outlines the reasons you can revoke or annul a contract.
From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026
A Panama Supreme Court decision to annul CK Hutchison's concession there on Thursday showed how container ports in geopolitically strategic locations have become a prized global currency.
From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026
Andros immediately sought to annul the move on grounds that only he had the authority to name a thanksgiving day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025
The Church was established in the 16th century by Henry VIII, the king who broke with the Catholic church over its refusal to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2025
No, I think, but even if it were, it turned out to be Mitt, some wondrous thing, who will forever annul any of our regret.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
It is ironic that Parrott has a penchant for tattoos - his injury time winner against Hungary on Sunday is a moment now permanently inked in the annuls of Irish football.
From BBC ● Nov. 17, 2025
"The General Court annuls the decision of the Commission to approve the recapitalisation of Lufthansa by Germany, amounting to 6 billion euros, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic," the Luxembourg-based tribunal said.
From Reuters ● May 10, 2023
Protesting annuls their careers, ensures harassment and hastens the closing of the public sphere by the authorities.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 11, 2022
Sept. 7: Mexico’s Supreme Court unanimously annuls portions of a law in Coahuila — a state on the Texas border — that had made abortion a criminal act.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2021
When Congress passes a bankruptcy law it annuls all the State laws on that subject.
From The Handy Cyclopedia of Things Worth Knowing A Manual of Ready Reference by Triemens, Joseph
Greenspan’s marriage was annulled amicably after a year, but his friendship with Rand lasted until her death in 1982.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Their marriage was annulled the following November, months before “Control” was released.
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2026
"The Panama Maritime Authority has taken possession of its ports and guarantees the continuity of operations," an official said after the Panamanian Supreme Court annulled Hutchison's contracts to operate the ports.
From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026
Late last month, Panama’s Supreme Court annulled a contract for CK Hutchison to operate ports at either end of the Panama Canal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
“Cause if'n you do, or if’n you have a mind to after you git over bein’ so mad at him, why, we could git this’n annulled.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
Dieudonne Boutrin, an activist from the overseas territory of Martinique who is descended from enslaved people, said annulling the Black Code should have been done ages ago.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
Lore Segal was 10 years old in 1938 when Nazi Germany annexed Austria and began the process of annulling the citizenships and confiscating the properties of Jewish families such as her own.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
That was until the Constitutional Council stepped in on Thursday, annulling Mr Sall's decree and voiding the contentious parliamentary bill.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2024
Colombia's aviation regulator approved the merger in late April after repeated delays, with the civil aviation authority objecting to the deal last November, before annulling and reopening the process in January after citing procedural irregularities.
From Reuters ● May 13, 2023
Not only did Alexander not oppose this, but he also rendered it easier by annulling King Louis’s previous marriage.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
