Standard Lemma guide

annul

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • rhymes with -ʌl
  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /əˈnʌl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /əˈnɐl/
  • Northern-England: /əˈnʊl/
  • homophone: Anal (an ethnic group in India; not to be confused with anal, which is not homophonous)
  • CMU ARPABET: AE1 N AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To formally revoke the validity of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: uphold

2

verb

Meaning 2

To dissolve (a marital union) on the grounds that it is not valid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To cancel out.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • They tried to reassure me but I was not able to annul my fears.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

cancel officially

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He revoked the ban on smoking
  • lift an embargo
  • vacate a death sentence

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: revoke, lift, countermand, reverse, repeal, overturn, rescind, vacate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cancel, strike down

Narrower terms: renege, renege on, renegue on, go back on

5

verb

Meaning 5

declare invalid

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The contract was annulled
  • void a plea

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: invalidate, quash, void, avoid, nullify

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cancel, strike down

Narrower terms: break, stet

History

Etymology

From Middle English annullen, from Old French anuller, from Latin annullō (“annihilate, annul”), from ad (“to”) + nūllus (“none, not any”).

Across languages

Translations

59 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: отменям (otmenjam) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Bulgarian: анулирам (anuliram) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Catalan: anul·lar — formally revoke the validity of
  • Cherokee: ᎠᏲᏍᏙᏗ (ayosdodi) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 廢除 /废除 (fèichú) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 取消 (qǔxiāo) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Danish: annullere — formally revoke the validity of
  • Danish: ophæve — formally revoke the validity of
  • Danish: slette — formally revoke the validity of
  • Dutch: annuleren — formally revoke the validity of
  • Finnish: mitätöidä — formally revoke the validity of
  • Finnish: kumota — formally revoke the validity of
  • French: annuler — formally revoke the validity of
  • Galician: anular — formally revoke the validity of
  • Georgian: ანულირება (anulireba) — formally revoke the validity of
  • German: annullieren — formally revoke the validity of
  • Greek: ακυρώνω (akyróno) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Greek: καταργώ (katargó) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Ancient Greek: ἀναιρέω (anairéō) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Hebrew: בִּטֵּל (bitél) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Hindi: निरसन (nirsan) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Hungarian: érvénytelenít — formally revoke the validity of
  • Irish: cuir ar ceal — formally revoke the validity of
  • Italian: annullare — formally revoke the validity of
  • Japanese: 取り消す (torikesu) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Japanese: 廃棄する (haiki-suru) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Latin: annūllō — formally revoke the validity of
  • Macedonian: поништи (poništi) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Māori: whakakāhore — formally revoke the validity of
  • Norwegian: annullere — formally revoke the validity of
  • Norwegian: oppheve — formally revoke the validity of
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tilbakekalle — formally revoke the validity of
  • Polish: anulować — formally revoke the validity of
  • Portuguese: anular — formally revoke the validity of
  • Romanian: anula — formally revoke the validity of
  • Romanian: revoca — formally revoke the validity of
  • Russian: аннули́ровать (annulírovatʹ) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Russian: отменя́ть (otmenjátʹ) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Russian: отмени́ть (otmenítʹ) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Serbo-Croatian: anulirati — formally revoke the validity of
  • Spanish: anular — formally revoke the validity of
  • Swedish: annullera — formally revoke the validity of
  • Swedish: ogiltigförklara — formally revoke the validity of
  • Ottoman Turkish: ابطال ایتمك (ibtâl etmek) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Ottoman Turkish: بوزمق (bozmak) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Ukrainian: касува́ти (kasuváty) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Ukrainian: скасува́ти (skasuváty) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Yiddish: אַנולירן (anulirn) — formally revoke the validity of
  • Bulgarian: разтрогвам (raztrogvam) — dissolve (a marital union)
  • Dutch: ontbinden — dissolve (a marital union)
  • Dutch: annuleren — dissolve (a marital union)
  • Finnish: mitätöidä — dissolve (a marital union)
  • German: annullieren — dissolve (a marital union)
  • Greek: ακυρώνω (akyróno) — dissolve (a marital union)
  • Polish: anulować — dissolve (a marital union)
  • Portuguese: anular — dissolve (a marital union)
  • Russian: расторга́ть (rastorgátʹ) — dissolve (a marital union)
  • Russian: расто́ргнуть (rastórgnutʹ) — dissolve (a marital union)
  • Spanish: anular — dissolve (a marital union)
Real reading context

annul in complete knowledge articles