Void
VOYD
/vɔɪd/
Having no legal force or effect; empty or not valid.
In legal contexts, 'void' means the contract or clause was never valid from the start, as if it never existed. It's distinct from 'voidable,' which means it can be made void by one party.
The story behind the word. The word 'void' comes from the Old French voide, meaning 'empty' or 'vacant.' This, in turn, traces back to the Latin verb vacare, which meant 'to be empty.' So, when a contract is declared 'void,' it's essentially rendered 'empty' of any legal power or effect, as if it were an empty space where a valid agreement should have been. It's a powerful image of legal nothingness.
Word relationships
- Invalid: Not legally or officially acceptable.
- Nugatory: Of no value or importance; useless.
- Ineffective: Not producing any or the desired effect.
- Valid: Legally or officially acceptable.
- Binding: Legally enforceable.
- Enforceable: Capable of being imposed.
Commonly confused with
- Voidable: 'Void' means it was never valid; 'voidable' means it is valid until one party chooses to make it void.
Word family
- voidness (noun): the state of being void
Collocations
- null and void
- void contract
- declare void
- void ab initio (from the beginning)
Idioms & expressions
- fill the void
Example sentences
- "The contract was declared void because one of the signatories was a minor and lacked the legal capacity to enter into such an agreement." Describing a contract that was never valid.
- "He stared into the dark void of the abandoned well, feeling a chill." Referring to an empty space.
- "The judge ruled to void the previous judgment due to procedural errors." As a verb, to invalidate something.
Memory hook
A VOID contract is like a black VOID in space – it has no substance or effect. VOID: Empty of legal power.
When not to use
While 'void' can mean 'empty space' in general English, in legal contexts, it specifically refers to invalidity. Do not use it interchangeably with 'cancelled' or 'terminated' if the agreement was initially valid.
Fun facts
- The term 'null and void' is a common legal phrase, where 'null' (from Latin nullus 'no, not any') reinforces the idea of having no legal force.
Related words
Also appears in
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