rescission
Americannoun
noun
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the act of rescinding
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law the right to have a contract set aside if it has been entered into mistakenly, as a result of misrepresentation, undue influence, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of rescission
1605–15; < Late Latin rescissiōn- (stem of rescissiō ) a making void, rescinding, equivalent to resciss ( us ) (past participle of rescindere to rescind, equivalent to re- re- + scid-, variant stem of scindere to cleave, tear in two + -tus past participle suffix, with dt > ss ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
If you’ve really had it with your business partner, you may make a motion for rescission to dissolve your legal ties. Rescission refers to the canceling of a contract or other legal agreement. The word rescission entered English in the17th century from the Latin word rescissio(n-), from resciss-, meaning “split again.” When a rescission takes place, you can think of it as two parties that are split up again — it’s as if they never had any ties together. You’ll most often hear the word used in a legal context. If someone violates part of a contract, then the other party might seek rescission, meaning the contract will be declared void.
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.
Similarly, a mistake can justify rescission when both parties are wrong about an essential fact, the law firm says.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
By foreclosing rescission and large damages, the high court substantially narrowed the foundation for any significant plaintiffs’ fee award in future cases, lowering litigation risk at the margins.
From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026
“Because it is the unmaking of an agreement, rescission is an extreme remedy and should only be granted by a court of equity when it is ‘clearly warranted,’” the court wrote in the unsigned opinion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025
Even McConnell voted to approve the $9-billion rescission request.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2025
Of course I approve the vote of rescission, however dangerous a precedent; but what a picture of the composition of this House of Commons!
From Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor Coleridge by Coleridge, Henry Nelson
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.
