noun
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a formal invalidation, as of a marriage, judicial proceeding, etc
-
the act of annulling
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
There are some instances when that may change, such as in the event the second marriage ends in an annulment, divorce or death.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 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
In their appeal Palace have requested an annulment of the decision by Uefa's financial control body and readmission to the Europa League in place of either Forest or Lyon.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2025
Commutation differs from annulment and dispensation, for these take away the obligation while commutation only changes the matter, the obligation of the vow remaining unchanged.
From Moral Theology A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern Authorities by Charles Jerome Callan
Still, over 49% of flights from Boston Logan were cancelled Tuesday morning, with similar high annulments at LaGuardia and Newark Liberty.
From Barron's ● Feb. 24, 2026
The Roman Catholic Church operates tribunals that consider spiritual issues and marriage annulments.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2025
In some videos, the inmates are given papers described as pardons or annulments of convictions.
From New York Times ● Jan. 30, 2023
Judges suspended the annulments, giving the Commission another chance to decide on the case.
From Reuters ● Jul. 19, 2021
And to think we were talking about annulments!...
From The Rose-Garden Husband by Margaret Widdemer
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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.
