nullify
NUL-uh-fy
/ˈnʌlɪfaɪ/
To render legally void, invalid, or ineffective; to cancel out.
Implies stripping an existing rule, contract, or action of all legal force and effect.
The story behind the word. 'Nullus' meant 'no one' or 'none' in Latin. In early modern jurisprudence, nullifying meant reducing a legal act's power literally to 'null' (zero).
Word relationships
- invalidate: Invalidate means to render invalid generally; nullify strongly carries legal force and total negation to zero effect.
- quash: Quash is a specific judicial term for setting aside a subpoena, indictment, or order.
- ratify: Ratify means to give formal legal validity, whereas nullify cancels it.
- validate: Validate means to confirm or make legally binding.
Commonly confused with
- annihilate: Annihilate means to physically destroy completely; nullify means to cancel legal force.
Word family
- nullification (noun): The act of rendering something legally void.
- null (adjective): Having no legal force or value.
Collocations
- nullify a law
- nullify a contract
- effectively nullify
- nullify the results
Idioms & expressions
- null and void
Example sentences
- "The Supreme Court acted to nullify the state law on constitutional grounds." Judicial review
- "Fraudulent misrepresentation will completely nullify any formal agreement signed by the parties." Contract law
Memory hook
NULL means zero; NULLIFY means to turn legal power into zero. Reduce to null.
When not to use
Do not use when simply voicing disagreement without having actual power to cancel the rule.
Fun facts
- The 'Nullification Crisis' of 1832 occurred when South Carolina attempted to declare federal tariffs null and void within its borders, sparking a major constitutional debate.
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.