rescind

verb

re·​scind ri-ˈsind How to pronounce rescind (audio)
rescinded; rescinding; rescinds

transitive verb

1
: to take away : remove
2
a
: take back, cancel
refused to rescind the order
b
: to abrogate (a contract) and restore the parties to the positions they would have occupied had there been no contract
3
: to make void by action of the enacting authority or a superior authority : repeal
rescind an act
rescinder noun
rescindment noun

Did you know?

Rescind and the lesser-known words exscind and prescind all come from the Latin verb scindere, which means "to cut" or "to split." Rescind was adapted from its Latin predecessor rescindere in the 16th century, and prescind (from praescindere) and exscind (from exscindere) followed in the next century. Exscind means "to cut off" or "to excise," and prescind means "to withdraw one's attention," but of the three borrowings, only rescind established itself as a common English term. Today, rescind is most often heard in contexts having to do with someone rescinding a contract or an offer, or with a legislative body rescinding a law.

Examples of rescind in a Sentence

The enemies these efforts made for him concocted charges of disloyalty, and following a hearing before the Atomic Energy Commission in 1954, Oppenheimer's security clearance was rescinded. Kai Bird et al., Smithsonian, Aug. 2005
But Maria convinced Leverich that she had the authority to rescind the executor's decision to appoint him as biographer. John Lahr, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 1994
The Navy barred its personnel from his church, but he challenged the decree in federal court as a constitutional violation of freedom of religion. Eventually, the Navy rescinded its ban. Randall Samborn, National Law Journal, 14 Jan. 1991
The navy rescinded its ban on women sailors. The company later rescinded its offer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Critical grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts have been rescinded. Linda Johnson, New York Daily News, 27 June 2025 As for wildfires, Rollins said rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule will enable the federal government to better manage forests for fire risk and timber production. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025 Their comments came after the Trump administration earlier this month rescinded guidance telling health care workers who provide abortions to save patients’ lives that they are protected under federal law. The Hill Staff, The Hill, 24 June 2025 However, the Trump administration recently rescinded that protection, placing him, and more than 350,000 Venezuelans, at risk of deportation. Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for rescind

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French rescinder "to reduce, cut, cancel, break (a contract)," borrowed from Latin rescindere "to remove or lay bare by hewing and cutting, cut or tear open, cancel, annul," from re- re- + scindere "to split, cleave, separate" — more at shed entry 1

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rescind was in 1579

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rescind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rescind. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

rescind

verb
re·​scind ri-ˈsind How to pronounce rescind (audio)
1
: cancel sense 2a
rescind a contract
2
: to do away with by legislative action
rescind a law
rescinder noun
rescindment noun

Legal Definition

rescind

verb
re·​scind ri-ˈsind How to pronounce rescind (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to take back and make void
rescinded its suspension of his license
2
: to abrogate (a contract or transaction) by mutual agreement, judicial decree, or unilateral declaration because of fraud, mistake, duress, misrepresentation, illegality, a breach, or another sufficient ground with both parties restored to their positions before the contract was made compare cancel, terminate
3
: to make void by the same or by a superior authority
rescind a regulation

intransitive verb

: to rescind something (as a contract)
rescindable
-ˈsin-də-bəl
adjective
Etymology

Latin rescindere to cut loose, annul, from re- away, back + scindere to cut, split

More from Merriam-Webster on rescind

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