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
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President Donald Trump argued that leaving the Paris climate accord would save jobs at home, yet possible trade wars sparked by his decision could nullify any additional benefit to American workers.
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For instance, legislators recently nullified a plastic bag ban on stores in the Outer Banks.
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If the U.S. decision causes the Paris Agreement to fail, any chance of keeping global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial temperature will effectively be nullified.
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State Rep. Patrick Connick, R-Marrero, and Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge, lobbied their colleagues to support the bill in the meantime, arguing that lawmakers might nullify domestic violence laws for everyone by opposing it.
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Endara was the apparent winner of a May 7 election that was nullified by Noriega.
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Innoventive fought back, arguing that a special act by the state of Maharashtra, where the company is based, had resulted in suspension of the company’s liabilities for a year, thus nullifying ICICI Bank’s claim at the time.
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Mayo told the Supreme Court that the patents at issue should be nullified.
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
Synonym Discussion of nullify
NULLIFY Defined for English Language Learners
nullify
playDefinition of nullify for English Language Learners
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: to make (something) legally null
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: to cause (something) to lose its value or to have no effect
Law Dictionary
nullify
playLegal Definition of nullify
nullified
nullifying
: to make null nullify a contract
Learn More about nullify
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See words that rhyme with nullify Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for nullify Spanish Central: Translation of nullify Nglish: Translation of nullify for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of nullify for Arabic speakers
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