annul
Americanverb (used with object)
-
annuls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
annulled,
past participle, past
-
annulling
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
annulsimple
-
annulssimple
-
have annulledperfect
-
has annulledperfect
-
am annullingprogressive
-
are annullingprogressive
-
is annullingprogressive
-
have been annullingperfect progressive
-
has been annullingperfect progressive
Past
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Chapter 20: Renaissance and Reformation
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"A Story Without an End" by Mark Twain
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Sanchez has alleged irregularities in the count, but election authorities have already thrown out his request to annul the results.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
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
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
Judges on the constitutional council dismissed eight petitions, citing insufficient evidence of irregularities or a lack of jurisdiction to annul results.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 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
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
Maldives court annuls former leader's conviction: Maldives's top court has annulled former president Mohamed Nasheed's conviction on terrorism charges.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 27, 2018
Virginia repeals that ordinance, annuls that bond of union, breaks that link of confederation.
From American Eloquence, Volume 4 Studies In American Political History (1897) by Alexander Johnston
He annulled her royal title; declared their only child, Elizabeth, illegitimate; and damned her memory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
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
Supreme Court decision that annulled the tariffs underpinning that agreement.
From Barron's ● Mar. 7, 2026
He annulled the registrations with a stroke of the pen.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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
To obtain immunity, he would need to show that his conduct served some actual U.S. government purpose that the Supremacy Clause would forbid the state from annulling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2023
Surely, there will be repercussions, but will they go so far as Coin annulling our agreement for the victors’ immunity?
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
