verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rescind
First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin rescindere “to tear off again, cut away,” equivalent to re- re- + scindere “to tear, divide, destroy”
Explanation
If you get a call saying a company has decided to rescind your job offer, it's back to the classifieds for you. Rescind means "to cancel or revoke." Things that are rescinded: policies, court decisions, regulations, and official statements. What all these examples have in common is that they are on the record. Also, rescind usually refers to promises instead of tangible objects. You can't rescind a shirt a friend has borrowed from you, but you can rescind your offer to loan her your jeans.
Vocabulary lists containing rescind
Night
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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The Crucible
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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.
Beijing has banned the $2.5 billion acquisition and ordered the parties involved to rescind the transaction.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
"It may be that the home secretary does rescind his visa... if she does, the issue is over," he told the Today programme.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
One Local 99 demand is to rescind the cuts.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
In particular, an August decision by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to rescind long-held requirements processes for acquiring technology made the rapid deployment of Lucas possible, current and former defense officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Tillie confided to her lawyer that she wanted to prevent Morrison from inheriting her estate and to rescind his guardianship of her children.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
