# annulment

/ˈænəɫmənt/ (US) · /ɐnˈʌlmənt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/annulment
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. marriage

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a legal decision that a marriage was never valid and therefore never truly existed.

For teachers: 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'.

### 2. legal contract or law

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the act of officially cancelling a law, a contract, or an agreement.

For teachers: 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'.

### 3. destruction

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

the total destruction or ending of something.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The court granted the annulment of their marriage.
- After discovering that the original contract was signed under duress, the judge ordered the annulment of the agreement.
- The annulment of the treaty was a significant diplomatic failure, as it effectively erased years of international cooperation and required both parties to renegotiate their entire relationship 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.