noun
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a formal invalidation, as of a marriage, judicial proceeding, etc
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the act of annulling
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of annulment
Explanation
An annulment is the cancellation of revocation of something, like a marriage. After an annulment, it's like the marriage never happened. The root nul (from Latin nullum) of this word is a good clue to its meaning: the underlying verb annul originally meant "reduce to nothing." An annulment also reduces something to nothing by canceling or terminating it, usually in a legal sense. The most common use of the term is the annulment of a marriage, which not only ends the marriage, but legally makes it as if the marriage never happened. Annulment is like a legal eraser.
Vocabulary lists containing annulment
The Renaissance and Reformation, Lessons 5–6
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Notes of a Native Son
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Cold Sassy Tree
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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.
He does not even bother to tell her he has left, letting her find out from a letter petitioning for an annulment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Human Rights Watch also recently called for "the annulment of the unjust sentences", denouncing "unfounded accusations".
From Barron's • Nov. 27, 2025
But the annulment came too late to prevent observance of the holiday in most of Connecticut.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025
Although Henry married his cousin, their marriage was apparently never consummated and his wife later filed for annulment.
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2025
The Copyright Office has no authority to recognize annulments, but it has noted request for annulment when received on the registry.
From Copyright: Its History and Its Law by Bowker, Richard Rogers
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.
