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rescinded; rescinding; rescinds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disloyalty, and following a hearing before the Atomic Energy Commission in 1954, Oppenheimer's security clearance was rescinded.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 Eventually, the Navy rescinded its ban. — Randall Samborn, National Law Journal, 14 Jan. 1991 The navy rescinded its ban on women sailors. The company later rescinded its offer.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

If immigrants claim fear of return, they are then entitled to an interview, the order will be rescinded, and their case will go to a judge to review their full asylum claim. — Aimee Ortiz, BostonGlobe.com, "Here’s what you should know about the threat of ICE raids," 6 July 2019 But the law doesn’t specifically deal with cases where the public official has been rescinded. — Gray Rohrer, orlandosentinel.com, "Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked out 215 of Rick Scott’s appointments, but 157 didn’t go anywhere," 1 July 2019 That policy was rescinded by president Barack Obama during his push for normal relations with Havana. — Tim Fernholz, Quartz, "The US has a special immigration exception just for Cubans," 21 June 2019 In 2017, offers were rescinded to 10 applicants following their participation in a Facebook group that shared racist and sexist memes. — Gina Martinez, Time, "Harvard Rescinds Acceptance of Pro-Gun Parkland Survivor Over Past Racist Comments," 17 June 2019 That student's admission was rescinded and their credits were vacated, according to the impact statement. — Mark Morales, CNN, "Former Stanford sailing coach to be sentenced in college admissions scam," 11 June 2019 When Foxman declined to provide one, his invitation, which included an honorary degree, was rescinded. — Sharon Otterman, ProPublica, "NYU Hires Law Firm to Investigate Behavior of Steinhardt, a Prominent Donor," 14 May 2019 It can be rescinded by President Trump on his executive authority. — Fox News, "Judge orders that the DACA program be restarted," 4 Aug. 2018 But after Trump was elected, the reduction plan was rescinded and prison stocks more than doubled in price. — Marcia Heroux Pounds, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Boca-based Geo Group poised to profit from Trump order for illegal immigrant beds," 25 June 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

9 Jul 2019

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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

formal : 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)