repeal
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to revoke or withdraw formally or officially.
to repeal a grant.
-
to revoke or annul (a law, tax, duty, etc.) by express legislative enactment; abrogate.
- Synonyms:
- invalidate, rescind, abolish, nullify
noun
verb
-
to annul or rescind officially (something previously ordered); revoke
these laws were repealed
-
obsolete to call back (a person) from exile
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
- nonrepealable adjective
- repealability noun
- repealable adjective
- repealableness noun
- repealer noun
- unrepealability noun
- unrepealable adjective
- unrepealed adjective
Etymology
Origin of repeal
1275–1325; Middle English repelen < Anglo-French repeler, equivalent to re- re- + ( a ) peler to appeal
Explanation
To repeal something — usually a law, ordinance or public policy — is to take it back. For example, dog lovers might want the town council to repeal the law that says residents can have no more than four dogs. The verb repeal comes from the Anglo-French word repeler, “to call back.” Repeal is almost always used in the context of law: When a government decides to get rid of an ordinance or law, that ordinance or law is repealed. That means it is no longer in effect, like if the weather becomes unseasonably hot, the schools might repeal the part of the dress code to permit students to wear shorts.
Vocabulary lists containing repeal
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Vocabulary from the Third and Final Presidential Debate, October 19, 2016
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The American Revolution - Introductory
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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.
In that sense, “policymakers may be able to cushion the blow, but they cannot repeal physical bottlenecks,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026
The City Council votes to repeal a law championed by Mayor Brandon Johnson.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
Farage made the comments when he was the leader of UKIP, and his Reform UK party insists it has no plans to repeal or weaken existing firearms law.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
Raman portrayed her ballot proposal as part of a larger strategy to blunt statewide efforts to repeal Measure ULA.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026
The protesters had issued an ultimatum, demanding that the government repeal the Black Act.
From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson
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.
