rescind

play

verb re·scind \ri-ˈsind\

Definition of rescind

transitive verb
1 : to take away : remove
2a : take back, cancel refused to rescind the orderb : 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

play \-ˈsin(d)-mənt\ noun

See rescind defined for English-language learners

See rescind defined for kids

rescind was our Word of the Day on 12/23/2007. Hear the podcast!

Examples of rescind in a Sentence

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 Eventually, the Navy rescinded its ban.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 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disloyalty, and following a hearing before the Atomic Energy Commission in 1954, Oppenheimer's security clearance was rescinded.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
The navy rescinded its ban on women sailors.
The company later rescinded its offer.

Recent Examples of rescind from the Web

Rescinding WOTUS and reverting back to the 1986 regulation would maintain the status quo and avoid that confusion, the Trump EPA proposal argues.

— ariel wittenberg, Science | AAAS, "Trump will try to sidestep science in rolling back clean water rule", 28 June 2017
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday outlined a process for rescinding a 2015 regulation that defines which waterways are covered under the Clean Water Act.

— john flesher and michael biesecker, chicagotribune.com, "Trump administration moves to withdraw clean-water rule", 27 June 2017
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday outlined a process for rescinding a 2015 regulation that defines which waterways are covered under the Clean Water Act.

— Washington Post, "Trump administration moves to withdraw clean-water rule", 27 June 2017
Earlier this year, the board rescinded a controversial $100 drama participation fee imposed in last June's budget reconciliation process.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "$446 million Harford County Public Schools budget approved for fiscal 2018", 13 June 2017
Of course, Northern Ireland has moved towards peace, and the DUP, like their opponents in Sinn Fein, have rescinded violence.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "A Climate Change-Denying, Anti-Abortion Party Rose to Power in Britain's General Election", 9 June 2017
The Harvard class of 2021 will contain at least ten fewer students, after the university rescinded offers to students who reportedly shared offensive memes.

— madison malone kircher, The Cut, "Harvard Retracts 10 Offers to Students Who Posted Offensive Memes in ‘Harvard Memes for Horny Bourgeois Teens’ Group Chat", 5 June 2017
So the Bears were able to rescind the move and choose another player to release (wide receiver Jhahuan Seales, an undrafted rookie free agent from Oklahoma State).

— brad biggs, chicagotribune.com, "Bears Q&A: Training camp battles, Connor Shaw's roster flux and more", 2 June 2017
On Tuesday the festival responded to community pressure by publicly rescinding their invitation to Dolezal to read from her new autobiography.

— mary carole mccauley, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts executive director Bill Gilmore stepping down", 1 June 2017

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.

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.

Origin and Etymology of rescind

Latin rescindere to annul, from re- + scindere to cut — more at shed

NEW!

First Known Use: 1579

See Words from the same year

RESCIND Defined for English Language Learners

rescind

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verb

Definition of rescind for English Language Learners

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

Law Dictionary

rescind

play

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)