overturn
n. countablen. a decision by a court or authority to cancel a previous rule or judgment. It means the old decision is no longer valid and has been replaced.
n. the invalidation or reversal of a previous legal decision, ruling, or precedent by a higher authority. Often used in the context of appellate courts or legislative bodies.
The court announced the overturn of the previous ruling.
Legal experts were surprised by the sudden overturn of the environmental law by the supreme court.
The unexpected overturn of the lower court's decision sent shockwaves through the legal community, effectively reversing decades of established judicial precedent regarding property rights.
From Middle English overturnen, equivalent to over- + turn. Compare also Middle English overterven (“to overturn”), see terve.
Commonly used in legal and political contexts; often followed by the preposition 'of'.