revoke
Americanverb (used with object)
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to take back or withdraw; annul, cancel, or reverse; rescind or repeal.
to revoke a decree.
- Synonyms:
- countermand, nullify, recall, retract
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to bring or summon back.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
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(tr) to take back or withdraw; cancel; rescind
to revoke a law
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(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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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revokesimple
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revokessimple
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have revokedperfect
-
has revokedperfect
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am revokingprogressive
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are revokingprogressive
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is revokingprogressive
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have been revokingperfect progressive
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has been revokingperfect progressive
Past
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revokedsimple
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had revokedperfect
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was revokingprogressive
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were revokingprogressive
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had been revokingperfect progressive
Future
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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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.
Advocates for TPS beneficiaries filed a flurry of lawsuits, arguing that the administration had cut corners in trying to revoke the protections.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
When the bureau found discrepancies, it tended to settle for reprimands and improvement plans, rarely going so far as to revoke a dealer’s license.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
Klein & Wilson, a law firm based in Newport Beach, Calif., outlines the reasons you can revoke or annul a contract.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
The US State Department has said it will start to revoke the passports of Americans who owe significant amounts of child support.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
It could only be a horrible thing that would cause the Council to revoke a sage’s status.
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
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.
