nullify
verb
Did you know?
A legislature may nullify a ban, a law, or a tax by simply passing a new law. Election results can be nullified if a court finds the voting process was improper, and a court ruling can be nullified by a higher court. Even the Supreme Court itself may have its decisions nullified by new laws passed by the Congress—though not if a decision is based on the Constitution. In the years leading up to the American Civil War, Southern states claimed the right to nullify any federal law (such as antislavery laws) that they believed to be unconstitutional, leading to the Nullification Crisis of 1832. Annul is a close synonym of nullify (with the same root), as are abrogate and invalidate.
Examples of nullify in a Sentence
Expert Panel®, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
But the president soon changed his tune when South Carolina claimed authority to nullify federal tariffs.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2025
In 2021, his convictions were nullified by the supreme court.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 27 Feb. 2025
And starting in 2018, Florida election officials began offering in-person early-voting sites on college and university campuses after a federal judge nullified a 2014 rule barring higher education facilities from serving as early-voting sites.
—Stephen C. Phillips, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nullify
Cite this Entry
“Nullify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nullify. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nullify
verb
Legal Definition
nullify
transitive verb
Share