annulment

noun

an·​nul·​ment ə-ˈnəl-mənt How to pronounce annulment (audio)
1
: the act of annulling something : the state of being annulled
2
: a judicial or ecclesiastical pronouncement declaring a marriage invalid

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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).

Examples of annulment in a Sentence

an annulment of that hastily conceived marriage can't come too soon
Recent Examples on the Web The Court of Justice deals with requests for preliminary rulings from national courts, certain actions for annulment, and appeals, while the General Court rules on actions for annulment brought by individuals, companies, and, in some cases, E.U. governments. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024 At the time of filing, the musician/actor also requested an annulment on the grounds of fraud. Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 5 Aug. 2024 The documents stated that Cyrus was also seeking an annulment on the grounds of fraud. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 27 July 2024 Cyrus filed for an annulment in May, raising fraud allegations against Firerose. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for annulment 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'annulment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of annulment was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near annulment

Cite this Entry

“Annulment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annulment. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Legal Definition

annulment

noun
an·​nul·​ment ə-ˈnəl-mənt How to pronounce annulment (audio)
1
: the act of annulling : the state of being annulled
2
: a declaration by a court that a marriage is invalid compare divorce

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