Word: rescind

Associations

The word "rescind" means to revoke, cancel, or take back a decision or agreement. It is often used in legal and formal contexts.

• In a law context, a company may rescind a job offer if they find that the candidate misrepresented their qualifications. Here, it means the company withdraws the job offer.
• A government can rescind a law or order, meaning it officially cancels that law. This is common when a law is no longer necessary or has been found to be unjust.
• You might rescind an invitation to a party if you can no longer host the event. In this case, it means you take back your invitation.

The well-known synonym for "rescind" is "revoke," but "revoke" is generally used for actions, while "rescind" can apply to contracts and agreements.

Substitution

Instead of "rescind," you could use:

• "cancel" – more general, can be used for events and agreements.
• "revoke" – often used in legal contexts, similar meaning but with a focus on authority.
• "withdraw" – implies pulling back something that was previously offered.

Deconstruction

The root of "rescind" comes from Latin "rescindere," where "re-" means "back" and "scindere" means "to cut." So, it literally means to "cut back" something that was previously established.

Historically, "rescind" has been used in legal contexts since the 16th century to describe canceling contracts.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you had to rescind an offer or invitation? What happened?
• How might a company’s decision to rescind a job offer affect the candidate?
• In what situations do you think it is important to rescind an agreement? Why?