annul
Meaning: To declare something legally invalid or void, as though it had never existed; most commonly applied to marriages, contracts, and election results.
Annul differs from cancellation in that it retroactively erases the legal effect of something — an annulled marriage, for instance, is treated as though it never took place. It is a strictly legal term in most contexts and collocates with marriages, elections, verdicts, and agreements. The noun form 'annulment' is equally common.
Examples
- The court annulled the marriage on the grounds that one party had been coerced into giving consent. 法院以一方被胁迫同意为由宣告该婚姻无效。El tribunal anuló el matrimonio alegando que una de las partes había sido coaccionada para dar su consentimiento.裁判所は、一方の当事者が同意を強要されていたことを理由にその婚姻を無効と宣言した。법원은 한쪽 당사자가 동의를 강요받았다는 이유로 그 혼인을 무효로 선언했다.
- Opposition leaders called for the election results to be annulled after widespread allegations of ballot-rigging. 反对派领导人在广泛的选票操纵指控之后,要求宣布选举结果无效。Los líderes de la oposición pidieron la anulación de los resultados electorales tras las generalizadas acusaciones de fraude electoral.野党の指導者たちは、大規模な票の不正操作の疑惑を受けて、選挙結果の無効を求めた。야당 지도자들은 대규모 선거 부정 의혹이 제기된 후 선거 결과의 무효화를 요구했다.
- The arbitration panel annulled the contract, ruling that it had been entered into under fraudulent circumstances. 仲裁委员会宣告该合同无效,裁定该合同系在欺诈情况下签订。El panel de arbitraje anuló el contrato al dictaminar que se había celebrado en circunstancias fraudulentas.仲裁委員会は、詐欺的な状況下で締結されたとの判断に基づき、契約を無効とした。중재 위원회는 사기적인 상황에서 체결된 것으로 판단하여 해당 계약을 무효로 선언했다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: legal, politics, journalism
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Late Latin annullare (to make nothing), from Latin ad- (to) + nullum (nothing). Entered English in the 14th century via Old French anuller.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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