rescind

verb

re·scind | \ ri-ˈsind

rescinded; rescinding; rescinds

Definition of rescind

1 : to take away : remove

2a : 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

Other Words from rescind Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about rescind

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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 second half of the 16th century, and prescind (from praescindere) and exscind (from exscindere) followed in the mid-17th century. Exscind means "to cut off" or "to excise," and prescind means "to withdraw one's attention," but neither appears frequently in contemporary English. Of the three borrowings, only rescind established itself as a common English term. You might hear of someone rescinding a contract or an offer, or of 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disloyalty, and following a hearing before the Atomic Energy Commission in 1954, Oppenheimer's security clearance was rescinded.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 Eventually, the Navy rescinded its ban. —Randall Samborn, National Law Journal, 14 Jan. 1991 The navy rescinded its ban on women sailors. The company later rescinded its offer.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

One of my former students saw his job offer from BP rescinded in 2015, only to get a better offer from Apple. — Houston Chronicle, "Competition for top talent keeps pay scale high in oil industry," 13 July 2018 Following Trump’s rescinding the invitation for the Eagles to visit the White House on the grounds that NFL players disrespect the country by kneeling during the national anthem, the media peppered Jenkins with questions about the issue. — Jean Palmieri | Wwd, latimes.com, "Super Bowl champion Malcolm Jenkins on football and fashion," 10 July 2018 In a statement released last week, the RK Group condemned President Donald Trump’s recently rescinded policy of separating immigrant children from their parents in order to prosecute the adults. — Brian Chasnoff, San Antonio Express-News, "Chambers split on RK Group subcontract," 2 July 2018 But there are other concerns: The original 1982 deadline is long past, five of the 37 states have rescinded their ratification, and some contend recent Supreme Court interpretations of the 14th Amendment make an ERA unnecessary. — Lois Kazakoff, SFChronicle.com, "Editorial: Just one more state to go for the ERA," 15 June 2018 Last month, the park service proposed rescinding its 2015 prohibitions. — NBC News, "The fight over Alaska's hunting rules runs deeper than using doughnuts to bait bears," 14 June 2018 Your daughter should talk to her brother about what happened, and point out how hurtful rescinding the invitation was to her and her daughter. — Jeanne Phillips, San Francisco Chronicle, "Rescinded vacation invitation causes bad blood in family," 1 June 2018 Cosby’s alma mater, Temple University, did the same thing last week, rescinding Cosby’s honorary doctorate alongside Yale and three other universities. — Laura Bradley, HWD, "Bill Cosby’s Name—And Statue—Are No Longer Welcome at the TV Academy," 3 May 2018 Edmunson said Barker pressured him to resign over a personnel matter, a claim Barker denies, and Edmunson later rescinded his resignation. — Christina Lords, idahostatesman, "An Idaho school superintendent wouldn’t resign, so this person paid him $400,000 to leave | Idaho Statesman," 30 Apr. 2018

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

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Last Updated

17 Sep 2018

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The first known use of rescind was in 1579

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More Definitions for rescind

rescind

verb

English Language Learners Definition of rescind

: to end (a law, contract, agreement, etc.) officially : to say officially that (something) is no longer valid

See the full definition for rescind in the English Language Learners Dictionary

rescind

verb

re·scind | \ ri-ˈsind

Legal Definition of rescind

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)