annul
UK[əˈnʌl]US[əˈnʌl]
v
to state officially that something such as a law, agreement, or marriage no longer exists or is valid
v
to reduce the effect or influence of something; to cancel something out
Morpheme Breakdown
ad
null
ad
to
null
nothing
Etymology
the word "annul" entered english in the late 14th century from the old french anuller, meaning "to cancel, wipe out." this, in turn, derives from the late latin annullare, a compound of the latin prefix ad- (here assimilated to an- before 'n') and the root nullus, meaning "none" or "nothing." the literal construction "to reduce to nothing" perfectly captures the core action of the verb: to declare a contract, law, or marriage void, as if it never existed. this etymological logic remains transparent in its modern legal and general usage, where to annul something is to officially negate it, rendering it null and void.
Analysis
Structure: ad (to) + null (nothing)
ad- (latin, a prefix meaning "to, toward, near"); null (from latin nullus, meaning "none, not any")
Examples
the court decided to annul the contract due to fraudulent misrepresentation.
a vote was held to annul the controversial law passed by the previous administration.
the couple sought to have their marriage annulled rather than filing for divorce.