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
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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
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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
Delivering her opinion for the Court of Justice of the European Union, advocate general Tamara Capeta sided with parliament in saying the court should "annul the commission's contested decision" which was made "without any explanation."
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 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
Open the history annuls and you'll find celebrities and WAGs - the wives and girlfriends of drivers - visible in the paddock for decades.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
India’s child marriage law deems the act of marrying below adult age illegal, but the marriage itself is valid until either party annuls it once they reach adulthood.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 10, 2023
The new law annuls all convictions for political and religious beliefs or sexual orientation.
From Reuters ● Nov. 3, 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
In a hymn addressed to Shamash, the sun-god, are found these lines: Who plans evil—his horn thou dost destroy, Whoever in fixing boundaries annuls rights.
From The Christian View of the Old Testament by Eiselen, Frederick Carl
But exam papers have been repeatedly leaked and exams annulled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 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
The trial was annulled in May 2025 after it emerged that one of the judges overseeing the trial was involved in a documentary about the case, potentially breaking ethics rules.
From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026
Their marriage was annulled the following November, months before “Control” was released.
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2026
Also, she must still be either hating Mr. McAllister like poison or else loving his eyes out and having second thoughts about not getting 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
"I do not make this application lightly," the president says in the court submission, arguing that the report should be set aside, thereby annulling the impeachment process.
From BBC ● May 26, 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
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
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.
