annulment

noun

an·​nul·​ment ə-ˈnəl-mənt 

1

: the act of annulling something : the state of being annulled

2

: a judicial or ecclesiastical pronouncement declaring a marriage invalid

Did you know?

Annulment usually applies to marriage. In some states an annulment may be carried out by a court ("judicial annulment"), but annulment is generally practiced by a church ("ecclesiastic annulment"), and principally the Roman Catholic Church, which traditionally hasn't permitted divorce. The usual acceptable reason for annulment is a "failure to consummate" the marriage by having children. Unlike a marriage that ends in divorce, an annulled marriage is considered never to have existed. Other things can be annulled as well, including a contract (if one party fails to comply with its terms) or an election (if it wasn't carried out properly).

Synonyms

• abatement
• abolishment
• abolition
• abrogation
• avoidance
• cancellation
• cancelation
• defeasance
• dissolution
• invalidation
• negation
• nullification
• quashing
• repeal
• rescindment
• voiding

Examples of annulment in a Sentence

an annulment of that hastily conceived marriage can't come too soon

Recent Examples on the Web

The technicality of the annulment matters because the way the prenup was drafted, a divorce would’ve left Amy with nothing. —Noel Murray, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025

Romania is holding national elections in May, following the annulment of last year’s voting round, in which a previously rather obscure, far-right Russia-friendly candidate, Calin Georgescu, was barred from running when his victory was shown to have benefited from Russian manipulation. —Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

Though Cromwell and Anne worked together toward common goals—first the annulment and then religious reform—their alliance was always a rather shaky one. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025

Just four days later, Cage requested an annulment, and they were granted a divorce that same May. —Emy Lacroix, People.com, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

annulment

noun

an·​nul·​ment ə-ˈnəl-mənt 

1

: the act of annulling : the state of being annulled

2

: a declaration by a court that a marriage is invalid compare divorce