rescission

noun

re·​scis·​sion ri-ˈsi-zhən 

: an act of rescinding

rescission of a contract

Synonyms of rescission

• cancellation
• repeal
• abandonment
• revocation

Examples of rescission in a Sentence

the judge ruled that the town's rescission of the contract was justified due the contractor's repeated failures to meet its obligations

Recent Examples on the Web

The Republican Congress did approve a handful of rescission bills in 2025, clawing back funds from various agencies, but the votes were controversial and tight. —Editorial, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2026

Some environmental scientists disagree, telling ABC News that the rescission is concerning and could have major implications for health. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 14 Feb. 2026

Included in these rescissions were $602 million in public health grants. —Joseph Choi, The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026

Over the past year, federal rescissions removed the funding structure that kept many local public media stations above that threshold. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French rescision, borrowed from Latin rescissiōn- rescissiō, from *rescid-, variant stem of rescindere "to remove or lay bare by hewing and cutting, cancel, rescind" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rescission

• abscission
• collision
• decision
• derision
• division
• elision
• envision
• excision
• incision
• misprision
• precision
• prevision

Kids Definition

rescission

noun

re·​scis·​sion ri-ˈsizh-ən 

: an act of rescinding

Legal Definition

rescission

noun

re·​scis·​sion ri-ˈsi-zhən 

: the act, process, or fact of rescinding especially a contract

specifically : the equitable judicial remedy of rescinding a contract in a suit brought by one of the parties compare reformation

rescissory

ri-ˈsi-zə-rē, -ˈsi-sə- 

adjective