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
Explanation
When you revoke something, you officially cancel it, like when you revoke your sister's "coolest sibling" award because she shows your friends funny pictures of you from when you were little. The verb revoke comes from the Latin word revocare, meaning "to call back or rescind." Licenses, wills, and privileges are three things that can be revoked. The verb also has a meaning specific to card- playing. If the rules state that you have to follow suit, but you accidentally play trump instead, you have revoked or reneged. If other players notice your mistake, you have to take the card back.
Vocabulary lists containing revoke
Latin Love, Vol I: vocare
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Tears of a Tiger
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100 SAT words Beginning with "R"
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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.
But in early March, the North Dakota Attorney General sought to revoke the group’s charitable gaming license and fine them, alleging that an investigation had found “multiple violations of state gaming laws and regulations.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
During the meeting on Thursday, councillors debated a motion proposing to revoke the honour from Ferguson before voting in favour of it.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Instead, it agreed to take up the government’s case, which argues that it can revoke this status—this is something Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has been fighting for nearly a year now.
From Slate • Mar. 19, 2026
California was set to revoke the licenses by Jan. 5 but extended the deadline to March 6 amid the threat of a civil class-action lawsuit by the Asian Law Caucus and the Sikh Coalition.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026
Our goal should be to attract the attention of the people who have the power to revoke the permits for the metal detectors.”
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
