rescind

verb

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re·scind | \ ri-ˈsind

rescinded; rescinding; rescinds

Definition of rescind

transitive verb

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disloyalty, and following a hearing before the Atomic Energy Commission in 1954, Oppenheimer's security clearance was rescinded.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 Eventually, the Navy rescinded its ban. — Randall Samborn, National Law Journal, 14 Jan. 1991 The navy rescinded its ban on women sailors. The company later rescinded its offer.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 Kaval said the letter contained inaccuracies and called on the club to rescind it, but Tregub said the club has no intention of rescinding the letter or any of its statements. — Phil Matier, SFChronicle.com, "Oakland A’s get unwelcome feedback from Sierra Club on Howard Terminal ballpark," 5 July 2020 If not, please rescind your prior order restricting local control and allow Dallas County to implement the above recommendations in an effort to slow the spread of the rampant and devastating COVID-19 virus. — Allie Morris, Dallas News, "Dallas County reports 1,103 new coronavirus cases, setting daily record for the fourth time this week," 4 July 2020 The Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Trump administration’s decision to rescind the DACA program has no implications for the employment of U.S. citizens. — Matthew Brown, USA TODAY, "Fact check: Supreme Court decision doesn’t give DACA recipients jobs over U.S. citizens," 26 June 2020 From the beginning, this case was not about whether the president of the United States has the authority to rescind DACA. — Morgan Marietta, The Conversation, "Supreme Court ruling on Dreamers sends a clear message to the White House: You have to tell the truth," 18 June 2020 The high court Thursday rejected a Trump administration effort to rescind the DACA program created by President Barack Obama in 2012. — Susan Ferrechio, Washington Examiner, "‘Wow’: Democrats celebrate high court ruling protecting 'Dreamers'," 18 June 2020 Both Luna and Sanchez add that the current Black Lives Matter movement has also uplifted undocumented people, and activists are motivated to push back against any attempt to rescind the program. — Jasmine Aguilera, Time, "'There's Hope for Us.' DACA Recipients Celebrate Supreme Court Ruling," 19 June 2020 His dissent echoes many of the arguments made by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had first advised DHS to rescind DACA. — Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, "How rule of law saved DACA, for now," 19 June 2020 In ruling against the White House, the Supreme Court did hold out the possibility that the administration could try to rescind DACA at a later date. — Morgan Marietta, The Conversation, "Supreme Court ruling on Dreamers sends a clear message to the White House: You have to tell the truth," 18 June 2020

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

8 Jul 2020

Cite this Entry

“Rescind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rescind. Accessed 14 Jul. 2020.

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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)