nullify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
nullifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
nullified,
past participle, past
-
nullifying
present participle
-
to render or declare legally void or inoperative.
to nullify a contract.
- Synonyms:
- cancel, void, annul, invalidate
-
to deprive (something) of value or effectiveness; make futile or of no consequence.
- Synonyms:
- cancel, void, annul, invalidate
verb
-
to render legally void or of no effect
-
to render ineffective or useless; cancel out
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
nullifysimple
-
nullifiessimple
-
have nullifiedperfect
-
has nullifiedperfect
-
am nullifyingprogressive
-
are nullifyingprogressive
-
is nullifyingprogressive
-
have been nullifyingperfect progressive
-
has been nullifyingperfect progressive
Past
-
nullifiedsimple
-
had nullifiedperfect
-
was nullifyingprogressive
-
were nullifyingprogressive
-
had been nullifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of nullify
First recorded in 1585–95, nullify is from the Late Latin word nūllificāre to despise. See nulli-, -fy
Explanation
To nullify something means to make it invalid or ineffective. A peace treaty is an attempt to nullify aggression and division within a region. If you take a null, or a zero, and make it into an action you can take, and you’ve got nullify — the act of making something void or zero-like. If you have an argument with your friend, it might nullify the fun you had together that day. This word is particularly used in legal language — a divorce nullifies a marriage — or in business disputes where you are trying to nullify someone else’s actions or plans.
Vocabulary lists containing nullify
Tangerine
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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:
“They nullify the ability of independently elected constitutional officers to enter into contracts authorized by federal law,” the lawsuit said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Anything less would deprive them of due process and nullify the Convention Against Torture.
From Slate ● Feb. 28, 2026
The goal of the bill is not to nullify Newsom’s order, Toppin said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2026
Bennett played the percentages, content to nullify Australia's spinners, and largely eschewed boundary hitting in favour of accumulation as he looked to establish a solid total.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
The “M & M” in “M & M Enterprises” stood for Milo & Minderbinder, and the & was inserted, Milo revealed candidly, to nullify any impression that the syndicate was a one-man operation.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
If competing proposals appear on a ballot and are successful, the one that receives the most votes nullifies the other.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026
The equal-weight index essentially nullifies the outsize influence of eight tech giants, whose combined market capitalization takes up more than a third of the S&P 500’s total.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026
The acknowledgment nullifies the alleged need for a new missile entirely.
From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2025
If the court nullifies or weakens those protections, it could result in more hospitals turning away patients without fear of penalty from the federal government, she said.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 18, 2024
“All the other scythes must see me as very bad luck. After all, I’ve gone through two scythes in one year. I suppose this nullifies my apprenticeship.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
It was not a perfect performance — Williams lost a fumble and penalties nullified two Corum touchdown runs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026
Some humanoid makers have nullified the issue by eschewing legs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
“Once the intent to return is nullified, a home becomes a countable asset that can be used to pay for long-term care,” AgingCare says.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026
Judge Cummings said: "If there ever was any remorse it is completely nullified by these offensive lies."
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
And if that’s not bizarre enough, every record that they set with Antoine on the team has been nullified, too.
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
The probe against Powell was dropped to smooth the way for Warsh's Senate confirmation, but the battle to fire Cook continues despite a Supreme Court decision nullifying an earlier attempt to do so.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
In this example, the Chelsea players have roles as 'blockers' - a tactic that is increasingly common from corners, with the aim of nullifying the strongest aerial threats by impeding their movement.
From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2026
"The study also tells us how albumin works on nullifying critical virulence factors including toxins and other fungal proteins involved in causing tissue damage and in aggressively invading human organs," explained Dr. Ibrahim.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 3, 2026
The Bruins coughed up two fumbles in the first half and would have lost a third had the Huskies not been called for defensive holding on the play, nullifying the turnover.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 23, 2025
In a few seconds, Woolf and Seabiscuit had stolen the track from him, nullifying his post-position edge and his legendary early speed.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
