Word
annulment
Phoneticsan·nul·ment, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈænəɫmənt/
UK/ɐnˈʌlmənt/
Definitions
01marriage
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Formal
n. a legal decision that a marriage was never valid and therefore never truly existed.
n. a judicial or ecclesiastical declaration that a marriage is null and void, as opposed to a divorce which terminates a valid marriage.
“After only three months, the couple applied for an annulment of their marriage.”
“The court granted the annulment on the grounds that one party had entered the union under significant duress.”
Usage
Often used with the verbs 'seek', 'grant', or 'obtain'.
Pitfall
They got an annulment of their marriage.
They were granted an annulment.
While 'annulment of' is grammatically correct, legal contexts usually use the passive 'granted an annulment' to describe the court's decision.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02legal contract or law
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Law Formal
n. the act of officially cancelling a law, a contract, or an agreement.
n. the formal act of rendering a legal instrument, such as a contract or statute, void and without effect.
“The opposition party demanded the annulment of the new tax law.”
“The tribunal's decision led to the immediate annulment of all contracts signed during the period of political instability.”
Usage
Usually followed by the preposition 'of'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03destruction
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Archaic · Literary
n. the total destruction or ending of something.
n. the state of being completely reduced to nothing or destroyed.
“The ancient city faced total annulment after the volcanic eruption.”
“The poet lamented the annulment of his hopes as the war dragged on into its fifth year.”
Teaching tip
This sense is archaic; modern speakers almost exclusively use 'annihilation' or 'destruction' for this meaning.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
Recorded since the 15th century (sense destruction); from Middle English anullement, partly from annullen (from Middle French annuller, from Latin annūllāre, from ad (“to”) + nūllus (“not any, nothing”) + verbal ending -āre) + -ment (“means to”) (from Latin -mentum) and partly from Middle French annullement. By surface analysis, annul + -ment.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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