nullification
[ nuhl-uh-fi-key-shuhn ]
/ ˌnʌl ə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /
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noun
an act or instance of nullifying.
the state of being nullified.
(often initial capital letter) the failure or refusal of a U.S. state to aid in enforcement of federal laws within its limits, especially on Constitutional grounds.
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Origin of nullification
OTHER WORDS FROM nullification
nul·li·fi·ca·tion·ist, nul·li·fi·ca·tor, nounnon·nul·li·fi·ca·tion, nounre·nul·li·fi·ca·tion, nounWords nearby nullification
Nullarbor Plain, null cell, null character, null hypothesis, nulli-, nullification, nullifidian, nullify, nulligravida, nullipara, nulliparous
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use nullification in a sentence
Cultural definitions for nullification
nullification
The doctrine that states can set aside federal laws. Urged in the late 1820s by John C. Calhoun, nullification precipitated a crisis between Calhoun and President Andrew Jackson. The doctrine was foreshadowed by Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Kentucky Resolutions. (See Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.