verb
nullify
NUL-ih-fye/ˈnʌlɪfaɪ/
To make something invalid or ineffective.
The official nullifies the permit by stamping it void.
Etymology
Literally “make nothing,” nullify applies that idea to legal force: a nullified act or agreement is made ineffective rather than physically destroyed.
In context
an individual State should be allowed to nullify the federal government's laws
More examples
- One missing signature could nullify the application.
- The change effectively nullifies the earlier restriction.
- The penalty nullified their apparent advantage.
Forms
nullify · nullifies · nullified · nullifying
nullification noun — the act of making something invalid
Similar words
- invalidate
- Invalidate means remove validity; nullify can also mean cancel an effect or advantage.
- annul
- Annul formally declares something void; nullify also covers making something practically ineffective.