Revoke: meaning, definitions and examples

Formal use, often used in legal or official settings when an authority decides to take back a decision, permission, or right.

• The government can revoke your passport if you violate the law.
• His license was revoked due to repeated traffic violations.

Everyday use, often used to indicate stopping an arrangement or event that was planned.

• We had to cancel our trip due to bad weather.
• He cancelled his appointment with the doctor.

Formal use, similar to revoke, usually used in legal, official, or authoritative contexts to indicate taking back an offer, order, or agreement.

• The company decided to rescind the job offer.
• The policy was rescinded after public outcry.

Commonly used in legal or religious contexts, specifically when referring to making a decision or contract as if it never existed.

• Their marriage was annulled by the church.
• The court decided to annul the previous contract.

Formal and usually legal use, intended to render something ineffective or invalid.

• The judge decided to nullify the contract.
• The new evidence might nullify the previous court ruling.