Word: annul (verb)

Associations

The word "annul" means to officially declare something invalid or to cancel it completely. It is often used in legal or formal situations, such as canceling a marriage, contract, or law.

• Example 1: The court decided to annul the marriage because it was never legally valid. Here, "annul" means to cancel the marriage as if it never happened.
• Example 2: The company tried to annul the contract when the other party did not meet the terms. This means they want to cancel the contract.
• Example 3: The government may annul a law if it is found unconstitutional. This means the law is canceled or made void.

Synonym: "cancel" is a common synonym. The difference is that "annul" is more formal and often used in legal or official contexts, while "cancel" is more general and can be used in everyday situations.

Substitution

Other words or phrases that can replace "annul" depending on context:

• cancel (more general, less formal)
• invalidate (focuses on making something not valid)
• void (often used legally, means something has no legal effect)
• repeal (used for laws or regulations)

Using these alternatives can change the tone or formality. For example, "repeal" is usually used only for laws, not marriages or contracts.

Deconstruction

"Annul" comes from Latin "annullare," which means "to make void" or "to reduce to nothing." It is related to the word "null," which means "nothing" or "zero." The prefix "an-" here is part of the Latin root, not a separate prefix in English. The root "null" means zero or none.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation in your life or in stories where something was annulled?
• How is "annul" different from just "stop" or "end"?
• Why do you think we need a special word like "annul" for legal or formal cancellations?