revoke
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to take back or withdraw; annul, cancel, or reverse; rescind or repeal.
to revoke a decree.
- Synonyms:
- countermand, nullify, recall, retract
-
to bring or summon back.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
-
(tr) to take back or withdraw; cancel; rescind
to revoke a law
-
(intr) cards to break a rule of play by failing to follow suit when able to do so; renege
noun
Usage
What does revoke mean? Revoke means to take back, withdraw, or cancel.Revoke is typically used in the context of officially taking back or cancelling some kind of right, status, or privilege that has already been given or approved. Passports and laws can be revoked, for example.The process or an instance of revoking is called revocation.A much more specific and less common sense of the word revoke is used in the context of card games, in which it means to break the rules by failing to follow suit when possible or required, such as in the game of bridge.Example: The principal threatened to revoke our senior privileges if there are any pranks.
Other Word Forms
- revoker noun
- revokingly adverb
- unrevoked adjective
Etymology
Origin of revoke
1300–50; Middle English revoken < Latin revocāre to call again, equivalent to re- re- + vocāre to call
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.
Bakersfield is a hub for trucking in the Central Valley, with a large concentration of the Punjabi Sikh community that was affected by the decision to revoke licenses.
From Los Angeles Times
The 37 NGOs "were formally notified that their licenses would be revoked as of January 1, 2026, and that they must complete the cessation of their activities by March 1, 2026," the ministry said Thursday.
From Barron's
MSF said it had been informed by Israel that its registration will be revoked later on Wednesday and the charity would have to cease its operations by March 1.
From Barron's
Interior Department’s decision to suspend—rather than revoke—lease contracts for Orsted wind farms increases the likelihood the company’s projects will be finalized, analysts at Equita write.
Larzelere said she hadn’t been aware that her California business license had been revoked.
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.
