revoked
UK[rɪˈvəʊkt]US[rɪˈvoʊkt]
v
to officially cancel or annul (a law, order, agreement, or privilege).
v
(of a person in authority) to take back or withdraw (a license, right, or permission).
Morpheme Breakdown
re
vok
ed
re
again/back
vok
to call
ed
past tense suffix
Etymology
the word "revoked" originates from the latin verb 'revocare,' a compound of the prefix 're-' (back) and 'vocare' (to call). this literal meaning, "to call back," was used in legal and formal contexts in latin, signifying the act of summoning something back, such as a command or a privilege. entering middle english via old french 'revoguer,' the term retained its legalistic sense while the spelling adapted to english conventions. the modern abstract meaning, "to officially cancel or annul," logically extends from the core idea of calling back an authority or right, effectively nullifying its forward force.
Analysis
Structure: re (again/back) + vok (to call) + ed (past tense suffix)
- re: a latin prefix meaning "back" or "again," indicating reversal or return.
- vok: from latin 'vocare,' meaning "to call," representing the core action.
- ed: an old english suffix used to form the past tense and past participle of regular verbs.
Examples
the judge revoked the defendant's bail due to new evidence.
his driver's license was revoked after multiple traffic violations.
the company revoked the outdated policy to adopt new standards.