# annulled

/ˈænəɫd/ (US) · /ɐnˈʌld/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/annulled
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

to officially cancel a legal document or a marriage so that it is no longer valid. You use this when a court or a government decides that something should not have happened in the first place.

For teachers: to declare a legal document, such as a marriage or a contract, invalid or null. Often used in the passive voice to describe the legal status of a relationship or agreement.

## Examples

- The court annulled the marriage because of fraud.
- After the discovery of the forged signatures, the judge ordered the contract to be annulled immediately.
- The annulment of the treaty effectively ended decades of diplomatic cooperation, forcing both nations to renegotiate their trade agreements from scratch.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.