rescind

verb

re·​scind ri-ˈsind 

rescinded; rescinding; rescinds

transitive verb

1

: to take away : remove

2

a

: 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

rescinder noun

rescindment

ri-ˈsin(d)-mənt 

noun

Did you know?

Rescind and the lesser-known words exscind and prescind all come from the Latin verb scindere, which means “to split, cleave, separate.” Rescind was adapted from its Latin predecessor rescindere in the 16th century, and prescind (from praescindere) and exscind (from exscindere) followed in the next century. Exscind means “to cut off” or “to excise,” and prescind means “to withdraw one’s attention,” but of the three borrowings, only rescind established itself as a common English term. Today, rescind is most often heard in contexts having to do with the withdrawal of an offer, award, or privilege, or with invalidation of a law or policy.

Synonyms

• cancel
• revoke
• abandon
• scrap
• repeal
• abort

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disloyalty, and following a hearing before the Atomic Energy Commission in 1954, Oppenheimer's security clearance was rescinded.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 Eventually, the Navy rescinded its ban.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The navy rescinded its ban on women sailors.

The company later rescinded its offer.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

All of Florida’s tropical storm watches, which covered a swath of the East Coast, were rescinded Sunday afternoon as Tropical Storm Imelda’s forecast track continued to nudge further offshore. —Alex Harris updated September 28, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2025

With trade talks evolving rapidly, tariffs are being proposed, rescinded, and amended quickly across the region. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025

The comments come as the EPA considers rescinding a key finding that greenhouse gas emissions from cars and other sources pose a threat to public health. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025

Rosenbury notes disapprovingly that there was a petition to rescind Kirk’s invitation. —Louis Menand, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French rescinder "to reduce, cut, cancel, break (a contract)," borrowed from Latin rescindere "to remove or lay bare by hewing and cutting, cut or tear open, cancel, annul," from re- re- + scindere "to split, cleave, separate" — more at shed entry 1

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rescind

• chagrined
• crosswind
• downwind
• upwind
• whirlwind
• woodwind
• finned
• ginned
• grinned
• pinned
• sinned
• skinned

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Kids Definition

rescind

verb

re·​scind ri-ˈsind 

1

: cancel sense 2a

rescind a contract

2

: to do away with by legislative action

rescind a law

rescinder noun

rescindment

-mənt 

noun

Legal Definition

rescind

verb

re·​scind ri-ˈsind 

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)

rescindable

-ˈsin-də-bəl

adjective

Etymology

Latin rescindere to cut loose, annul, from re- away, back + scindere to cut, split