annul
Americanverb (used with object)
-
annuls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
annulled,
past participle, past
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annulling
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
annulsimple
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annulssimple
-
have annulledperfect
-
has annulledperfect
-
am annullingprogressive
-
are annullingprogressive
-
is annullingprogressive
-
have been annullingperfect progressive
-
has been annullingperfect progressive
Past
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annulledsimple
-
had annulledperfect
-
was annullingprogressive
-
were annullingprogressive
-
had been annullingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of annul
1375–1425; late Middle English < Anglo-French annuler < Late Latin adnūllāre render null (calque of Greek exoudeneîn ), equivalent to ad- ad- + -nullāre, verbal derivative of Latin nūllus no, not any
Explanation
When a celebrity wakes up in Las Vegas with a mysterious wedding ring on her finger, the first thing she’ll probably want to do is annul the marriage. That will declare it invalid and officially cancel the whole deal. Annul, which means “to cancel” or “to invalidate,” is usually used in the context of politics or marriage. New government officials often want to annul laws and policies of the previous post-holder, effectively reversing their work. When you annul a marriage, you are officially declaring it invalid, as if it never happened. In the case of the unfortunate celebrity marriage, however, it could be difficult to completely erase all record of the event — especially if the tabloids hear about it.
Vocabulary lists containing annul
"Revolution 2.0," Vocabulary from the memoir
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Chapter 20: Renaissance and Reformation
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"A Story Without an End" by Mark Twain
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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.
See Examples For:
Sanchez has alleged irregularities in the count, but election authorities have already thrown out his request to annul the results.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
A legal bid by some residents to annul all transactions since Ravi's arrival in 2021 was rejected by the Madras High Court last year, but several other cases are ongoing.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 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
Andros immediately sought to annul the move on grounds that only he had the authority to name a thanksgiving day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025
No, I think, but even if it were, it turned out to be Mitt, some wondrous thing, who will forever annul any of our regret.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Open the history annuls and you'll find celebrities and WAGs - the wives and girlfriends of drivers - visible in the paddock for decades.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
"The General Court annuls the decision of the European Commission approving Romanian aid to Timisoara International Airport in favour of Wizz Air," the Court said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
From Reuters ● Feb. 8, 2023
Protesting annuls their careers, ensures harassment and hastens the closing of the public sphere by the authorities.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 11, 2022
Sept. 7: Mexico’s Supreme Court unanimously annuls portions of a law in Coahuila — a state on the Texas border — that had made abortion a criminal act.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2021
The first, the source of happiness, The fount whence flows the greatest bliss That in the sea of being e'er is found; The last each sorrow gently lulls, Each harsh decree of Fate annuls.
From The Poems of Giacomo Leopardi by Frederick Townsend
He annulled her royal title; declared their only child, Elizabeth, illegitimate; and damned her memory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
Lula's convictions were annulled by the Supreme Court in 2021 and in presidential elections the following year he narrowly beat far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, winning 50.9% of the vote.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Greenspan’s marriage was annulled amicably after a year, but his friendship with Rand lasted until her death in 1982.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Tuesday's vote came after the lower house last week backed repealing outdated slavery legislation that was never annulled despite the practice being abolished in 1848.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
He annulled the registrations with a stroke of the pen.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Dieudonne Boutrin, an activist from the overseas territory of Martinique who is descended from enslaved people, said annulling the Black Code should have been done ages ago.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
Lore Segal was 10 years old in 1938 when Nazi Germany annexed Austria and began the process of annulling the citizenships and confiscating the properties of Jewish families such as her own.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
That was until the Constitutional Council stepped in on Thursday, annulling Mr Sall's decree and voiding the contentious parliamentary bill.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2024
Nepal's Supreme Court ruled on Friday that deputy prime minister Rabi Lamichhane had stood for election with invalid citizenship papers, annulling his status as a lawmaker and effectively removing him from office.
From Reuters ● Jan. 28, 2023
Surely, there will be repercussions, but will they go so far as Coin annulling our agreement for the victors’ immunity?
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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.
