nullify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to render or declare legally void or inoperative.
to nullify a contract.
- Synonyms:
- cancel, void, annul, invalidate
-
to deprive (something) of value or effectiveness; make futile or of no consequence.
- Synonyms:
- cancel, void, annul, invalidate
verb
-
to render legally void or of no effect
-
to render ineffective or useless; cancel out
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nullify
First recorded in 1585–95, nullify is from the Late Latin word nūllificāre to despise. See nulli-, -fy
Explanation
To nullify something means to make it invalid or ineffective. A peace treaty is an attempt to nullify aggression and division within a region. If you take a null, or a zero, and make it into an action you can take, and you’ve got nullify — the act of making something void or zero-like. If you have an argument with your friend, it might nullify the fun you had together that day. This word is particularly used in legal language — a divorce nullifies a marriage — or in business disputes where you are trying to nullify someone else’s actions or plans.
Vocabulary lists containing nullify
Tangerine
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Dear Martin
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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.
Anything less would deprive them of due process and nullify the Convention Against Torture.
From Slate • Feb. 28, 2026
They intend to bleed, to delay, to nullify by exhaustion what they can’t defeat by argument.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026
That is not to say the 41-year-old lacks innovation or the ability to nullify opponents, but his similarities to predecessor Enzo Maresca mean he does not need to reinvent the wheel.
From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026
In response the legislature voted to eliminate some of the state’s most controversial fees and effectively nullify others.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2025
I pitied him and did not argue with him, for I knew that persuasion would not nullify his fears.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
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.
