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rescinded; rescinding; rescinds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disloyalty, and following a hearing before the Atomic Energy Commission in 1954, Oppenheimer's security clearance was rescinded.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 Eventually, the Navy rescinded its ban. — Randall Samborn, National Law Journal, 14 Jan. 1991 The navy rescinded its ban on women sailors. The company later rescinded its offer.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

Trump has accused the players of being unpatriotic, and this week rescinded his invitation to the Philadelphia Eagles, the 2018 Super Bowl champs, to visit the White House. — NBC News, "Nike cuts ties with Iran's World Cup team, citing U.S. sanctions," 10 June 2018 Instead, Jenkins responded to questions about the Eagles’ rescinded White House invitation by holding up a series of handwritten signs. — Zach Berman, Philly.com, "Malcolm Jenkins chooses handwritten signs instead of spoken words to convey message after White House cancellation," 6 June 2018 Robert also attended Placer High School and was briefly hired as the Davis High School boys coach in February 2014 before the offer was rescinded six hours later, the Davis Enterprise reported. — Benjy Egel, sacbee, "Volleyball-coaching twins from Placer County facing new child molestation charges | The Sacramento Bee," 16 May 2018 Becca Kufrin was proposed to by Season 22 Bachelor Arie Luyendyk Jr., only to have the proposal rescinded a couple weeks later. — Justin Kirkland, USA TODAY, "Is it time to stop watching 'The Bachelor?'," 6 Mar. 2018 State officials waffled, initially warning residents in early 2015 not to drink their water, then later rescinding that advice. — Bruce Henderson, charlotteobserver, "They’ve used bottled water to drink, cook, bathe for 1,000 days. When will taps flow again?," 11 Jan. 2018 Late last year, Exxon was among the companies that objected to a measure debated by ALEC meant to encourage states to prod the Environmental Protection Agency to rescind its Obama-era determination that climate change requires regulation. — Kevin Crowley And Ari Natter, Houston Chronicle, "Exxon quits Koch-backed business group after climate change disagreement," 13 July 2018 Four months into office, Scott petitioned the federal Environmental Protection Agency to rescind its Clean Water Act rule relating to excess nutrients in Florida waterways. — David Smiley And Mary Ellen Klas, miamiherald, "Florida’s politicians use slimy algae to muddy each other," 11 July 2018 President Trump has yet to rescind the Obama-era order, and its regulations still apply. — Megan Michelson, Outside Online, "Kate Brandt Is Turning Google into a Green Powerhouse," 5 July 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

12 Nov 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)