annual
To annul something means to officially declare that it is no longer valid, as if it never happened.
Explanation at your level:
To annul is a big word that means to stop something officially. Imagine a rule that is now gone. It is like saying 'this never happened.' We use this word when we talk about laws or big agreements.
When someone decides to annul a contract, they are canceling it completely. It is very formal. You will see this in the news or in legal documents. It means the agreement is now invalid.
The verb annul is used primarily in legal situations. It implies that a document or a marriage is legally void. It is more than just canceling; it is erasing the legal status of the item. Use it when you want to sound precise about legal endings.
In professional settings, annul is the standard term for invalidating a legal act. It carries a sense of finality and authority. You might hear it in phrases like 'the court decided to annul the election results.' It is important to distinguish this from 'revoke' or 'repeal,' which have slightly different legal nuances.
At an advanced level, annul functions as a precise tool for describing the retroactive invalidation of an agreement. It is often paired with 'contract,' 'marriage,' or 'decree.' Its etymological roots in 'null' help clarify its usage: it makes a previous status 'null.' It is a hallmark of formal, academic, and legal register.
Mastery of annul involves understanding its specific application in jurisprudence. Unlike 'rescind' or 'abrogate,' which may imply a choice to stop a process, 'annul' suggests that the subject was fundamentally flawed or legally deficient from the outset. In literary or historical contexts, it can also be used metaphorically to describe the erasure of past events or memories, though this is a more stylistic, sophisticated usage.
واژه در 30 ثانیه
- Annul means to make something void.
- It is a formal legal term.
- It implies the thing never existed.
- Always spell it with two Ls.
When you hear the word annul, think of a giant eraser for legal documents. It is a powerful verb used to state that a contract, a marriage, or a law is void. Unlike simply 'canceling' something, to annul is to wipe the slate clean so that the thing is treated as if it never existed in the first place.
You will most often hear this word in legal or formal settings. If a court decides to annul a marriage, it is essentially saying the marriage was never legally valid to begin with. It is a very specific, high-stakes term that carries a lot of weight in the courtroom.
The word annul has deep roots in history, tracing back to the Latin word annullare. This term is formed by combining 'ad-' (meaning 'to') and 'nullus' (meaning 'none' or 'nothing'). Essentially, the word literally means 'to bring to nothing.'
It entered the English language through Old French in the 14th century. Over hundreds of years, it has maintained its connection to the idea of 'making nothing' of something. It is fascinating how a word that is centuries old still serves the exact same purpose in our modern legal system today.
You should reserve annul for formal or legal contexts. You wouldn't use it to describe canceling a dinner reservation or a Netflix subscription! Instead, it is used for things like annulling a contract, annulling a vote, or annulling a marriage.
Because it is a formal term, it is rarely used in casual conversation. If you are talking to friends, you would likely just say 'cancel' or 'void.' Using 'annul' in the wrong context might make you sound like a lawyer, which is great if you are in court, but a bit strange at a birthday party!
While 'annul' itself is a technical term, it is closely linked to concepts of null and void. 1. Null and void: Meaning invalid or useless. 2. Wipe the slate clean: Starting over as if nothing happened. 3. Back to square one: Returning to the start. 4. Void of: Completely lacking something. 5. Set aside: To formally reject a previous decision.
The verb annul follows a specific pattern when you change its tense. Because it ends in a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern, you must double the 'l' when adding suffixes. So, it becomes annulled and annulling.
Pronunciation is straightforward: /əˈnʌl/. The stress is on the second syllable. It rhymes with words like 'dull,' 'hull,' and 'skull.' Remember the double 'l' spelling—it is a common pitfall for writers!
Fun Fact
It shares the same root as the word 'null'.
Pronunciation Guide
Uh-null
Uh-null
Common Errors
- Forgetting the double L
- Misplacing the stress
- Pronouncing it like 'annual'
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Formal vocabulary
Needs careful usage
Rarely used
Clear pronunciation
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
پیشرفته
Grammar to Know
Passive Voice
The law was annulled.
Infinitive Verbs
To annul the law.
Past Participle
The annulled contract.
Examples by Level
The judge will annul the rule.
judge/rule
Future tense
They annulled the bad law.
annulled/past
Past tense
Can we annul this?
can/we
Modal verb
The court must annul it.
court/must
Modal verb
They want to annul the deal.
want/deal
Infinitive
He will annul the order.
he/order
Future tense
Did they annul the vote?
did/vote
Question form
The law is annulled now.
law/now
Passive voice
The company had to annul the contract.
The committee decided to annul the previous decision.
The marriage was annulled by the court.
They are trying to annul the agreement.
The judge annulled the witness testimony.
He asked if they could annul the sale.
The government annulled the outdated law.
The election results were annulled.
The court granted the request to annul the marriage.
The contract was annulled due to a technical error.
They moved to annul the results of the vote.
The treaty was annulled after years of dispute.
It is difficult to annul such a binding agreement.
The board chose to annul the previous policy.
The judge had the power to annul the decision.
The union was annulled last week.
The supreme court moved to annul the controversial legislation.
The contract was annulled because it was signed under duress.
The parties agreed to annul the arrangement entirely.
The judge's ruling served to annul the prior injunction.
It is rare for a court to annul a settled contract.
The organization decided to annul the membership status.
The administrative body had to annul the permit.
They successfully petitioned to annul the illegal act.
The decree served to annul all previous obligations held by the state.
The tribunal moved to annul the proceedings due to procedural irregularities.
The contract was declared null and void, effectively annulling the debt.
The legislative body sought to annul the act before it took effect.
The judge's decision to annul the marriage shocked the public.
The committee voted to annul the mandate immediately.
The treaty was annulled, leaving the borders in dispute.
The court possesses the authority to annul any unconstitutional law.
The monarch sought to annul the marriage to secure the succession.
The historical record was effectively annulled by the new regime's propaganda.
The court's decision to annul the trial set a significant legal precedent.
The contract was annulled, rendering all subsequent actions invalid.
The judge's power to annul is a cornerstone of the legal system.
The treaty was annulled, signaling a collapse in diplomatic relations.
The committee had to annul the results due to widespread corruption.
The act of annulling the law was met with public protest.
مترادفها
متضادها
ترکیبهای رایج
Idioms & Expressions
"null and void"
Having no legal force.
The contract is now null and void.
formal"set aside"
To reject a decision.
The judge set aside the verdict.
formal"wipe the slate clean"
To start over.
They wanted to wipe the slate clean.
casual"back to square one"
Returning to the start.
We are back to square one.
casual"void of"
Lacking completely.
The room was void of furniture.
neutral"strike down"
To declare a law invalid.
The court struck down the law.
formalEasily Confused
Similar spelling
Annual means yearly; annul means void.
An annual report vs an annulled contract.
Similar sound
Annal is a historical record.
The annals of history.
Similar meaning
Cancel is general; annul is legal.
Cancel a trip vs annul a law.
Similar context
Revoke is to take back a power.
Revoke a license.
Sentence Patterns
The court + annulled + the + [noun]
The court annulled the contract.
They + decided + to + annul + [noun]
They decided to annul the vote.
The [noun] + was + annulled + by + the + judge
The marriage was annulled by the judge.
He + sought + to + annul + [noun]
He sought to annul the treaty.
The + power + to + annul + [noun]
The power to annul laws is key.
خانواده کلمه
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
مرتبط
How to Use It
4
Formality Scale
اشتباهات رایج
Annul is specifically legal.
It needs two Ls.
Different meanings.
Annul applies to concepts/laws.
It sounds too stiff.
Tips
Memory Palace
Imagine a courtroom where a judge is erasing a paper.
Legal Context
Only use this when talking about laws or contracts.
History
Remember the royal history of annulments.
Spelling
Double the L!
Stress
Stress the second syllable.
Casual Speech
Don't use it to cancel dinner.
Etymology
It comes from 'null'.
Flashcards
Pair it with 'contract'.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Annul sounds like 'a null'—making something a null value.
Visual Association
A judge hitting a gavel on a document.
Word Web
چالش
Try using 'annul' in a legal scenario.
ریشه کلمه
Latin
Original meaning: To bring to nothing
بافت فرهنگی
Can be a sensitive topic in religious contexts.
Used heavily in legal and religious contexts, particularly concerning marriage.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
In a courtroom
- The judge annulled the act
- Request to annul
- Legally annulled
In business
- Annul the contract
- Annul the agreement
- Terms for annulling
In politics
- Annul the election
- Annul the results
- Annul the policy
In history
- Annul the marriage
- Annul the treaty
- Annul the decree
Conversation Starters
"Have you ever heard of a law being annulled?"
"Why do you think courts have the power to annul things?"
"What is the difference between canceling and annulling?"
"Can you think of a situation where a contract should be annulled?"
"Why is 'annul' a formal word?"
Journal Prompts
Write about a time you had to cancel something (and why it wasn't an 'annulment').
Explain the concept of 'null and void' in your own words.
Why is it important for legal systems to have an 'annul' process?
Imagine a world where nothing could ever be annulled.
سوالات متداول
8 سوالNo, an annulment treats the marriage as if it never existed.
No, use cancel instead.
No, always two.
Annulment.
It is common in legal news but rare in daily talk.
No, they are very different.
Yes, if it is legally invalid.
Yes, very formal.
خودت رو بسنج
The judge will ___ the law.
Annul fits the legal context.
What does annul mean?
Annul means to make void.
Annul is a casual word.
It is a formal legal term.
Word
معنی
Matching terms to definitions.
The court did annul the contract.
امتیاز: /5
Summary
To annul is to formally declare something legally void as if it never happened.
- Annul means to make something void.
- It is a formal legal term.
- It implies the thing never existed.
- Always spell it with two Ls.
Memory Palace
Imagine a courtroom where a judge is erasing a paper.
Legal Context
Only use this when talking about laws or contracts.
History
Remember the royal history of annulments.
Spelling
Double the L!
مثال
They sought legal counsel to annul their marriage after realizing the ceremony was not properly licensed.
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واژههای بیشتر Time
lifetime
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weekend
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bygone
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yesterday
A1Yesterday refers to the day immediately before today. It is used to describe events, actions, or states that occurred in the very recent past, specifically one day ago.
prior
B2Existing or coming before in time, order, or importance. It is frequently used to describe a previous arrangement or knowledge that someone has before a specific point in time.
eventual
B2Describing something that happens at the end of a long process or period of time, often after several difficulties or intermediate steps. It characterizes the final result or outcome of a situation rather than the immediate one.
May
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hour
A1A unit of time that lasts for sixty minutes. There are twenty-four of these units in one full day.
anytime
C1Refers to an unspecified or indefinite point in time that is available or convenient for an action to occur. It denotes complete flexibility and the absence of a fixed schedule or temporal restriction.
prologation
C1Prolongation refers to the act of extending the duration or length of something, or the state of being extended beyond the usual or expected limit. It is frequently used in technical, legal, or formal contexts to describe an increase in time for a contract, a medical condition, or a physical dimension.
