nullify

verb nul·li·fy \ ˈnə-lə-ˌfī \

Definition of nullify

nullified; nullifying

transitive verb

1 :to make null (see ¹null 1); especially :to make legally null and void

nullify a law

2 :to make of no value or consequence (see consequence 3)

a promise later nullified

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Examples of nullify in a Sentence

The law has been nullified by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The penalty nullified the goal.

Recent Examples of nullify from the Web

The proposal from Abrogate Prohibition Michigan of Midland would nullify all laws prohibiting or regulating the use of marijuana and impose no fines, taxes or penalties on its use.

— paul egan, Detroit Free Press, "New marijuana legalization petition gets green light from Board of Canvassers," 17 Aug. 2017
The new law nullified a part of Indianapolis' ordinance that mandated vendors not ask job applicants about their criminal histories.

— james briggs, Indianapolis Star, "Briggs: Indianapolis can't 'ban the box' anymore, but a new policy might have the same effect," 11 Aug. 2017
Allowing insurers to sell across state lines would, in practice, mean allowing insurers in (loosely regulated) Mississippi to sell cheap, skimpy plans to New Yorkers, thereby nullifying the Empire State’s duly enacted benefit requirements.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "House Moderates Have a Bipartisan Health-Care Bill," 4 Aug. 2017
Those fees should have nullified the government guarantee behind the loans, but the bank still collected guarantee payments on loans that went bad, the brokers claimed.

— james rufus koren, latimes.com, "Wells Fargo says number of unauthorized accounts, legal expenses could rise," 4 Aug. 2017
But by failing to build on those outings Wednesday, the Timbers nullified the significance of those performances.

— OregonLive.com, "Portland Timbers fall apart in 4-1 loss to Real Salt Lake: 5 takeaways," 20 July 2017
On July 7th the high court accepted the main opposition party’s bid to nullify the tender for printing the ballots for the presidency amid accusations that the printing contract had been improperly awarded.

— The Economist, "How to unrig an electionNew methods and technology can make elections fairer," 20 July 2017
Some fans believe the mark made by the Night King could nullify these spells, causing the Wall to come crashing down after Bran has crossed to the other side.

— megan mccluskey, Time, "10 Game of Thrones Questions We Desperately Want Answered in Season 7," 14 July 2017
Such a Marshall Plan–like investment would also send a message to China that its own nuclear deterrent could be compromised and nullified by the defensive efforts of its immediate neighbors.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "West Can Neither Live with nor Take Out North Korean Nukes," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nullify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.

Origin and Etymology of nullify

Late Latin nullificare, from Latin nullus

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First Known Use: 1607

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nullify Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of nullify

nullify, negate, annul, abrogate, invalidate mean to deprive of effective or continued existence. nullify implies counteracting completely the force, effectiveness, or value of something.