rescission
Americannoun
noun
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the act of rescinding
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law the right to have a contract set aside if it has been entered into mistakenly, as a result of misrepresentation, undue influence, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of rescission
1605–15; < Late Latin rescissiōn- (stem of rescissiō ) a making void, rescinding, equivalent to resciss ( us ) (past participle of rescindere to rescind, equivalent to re- re- + scid-, variant stem of scindere to cleave, tear in two + -tus past participle suffix, with dt > ss ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
If you’ve really had it with your business partner, you may make a motion for rescission to dissolve your legal ties. Rescission refers to the canceling of a contract or other legal agreement. The word rescission entered English in the17th century from the Latin word rescissio(n-), from resciss-, meaning “split again.” When a rescission takes place, you can think of it as two parties that are split up again — it’s as if they never had any ties together. You’ll most often hear the word used in a legal context. If someone violates part of a contract, then the other party might seek rescission, meaning the contract will be declared void.
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 California, for instance, “if you are seeking rescission based on fraud, then the statute of limitations will likely be three years,” Klein & Wilson says.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
It held that the lower court’s rescission was an inequitable remedy and reinstated Musk’s compensation plan.
From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026
“Because it is the unmaking of an agreement, rescission is an extreme remedy and should only be granted by a court of equity when it is ‘clearly warranted,’” the court wrote in the unsigned opinion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025
Even McConnell voted to approve the $9-billion rescission request.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2025
It is no doubt only by reason of a condition construed into the contract that fraud is a ground of rescission.
From The Common Law by Holmes, Oliver Wendell
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.
