English Reference

Word

repealing

Phoneticsre·peal·ing

US/ɹiˈpiɫɪŋ/

UK/ɹɪpˈiːlɪŋ/

Definition

v. to officially end a law or a formal agreement so that it is no longer valid.

v. the act of revoking or annulling a law, ordinance, or public policy by legislative action. Present participle of 'repeal', often used to describe the formal process of legislative reversal.

Examples

“The government is repealing the old tax law next month.”

“By repealing the outdated trade restrictions, the administration hopes to encourage more international investment in the local economy.”

“The constitutional court is currently reviewing the legality of repealing the environmental protections that were established during the previous decade.”

Examples

simple

“The government is repealing the old tax law next month.”

contextual

“By repealing the outdated trade restrictions, the administration hopes to encourage more international investment in the local economy.”

complex

“The constitutional court is currently reviewing the legality of repealing the environmental protections that were established during the previous decade.”

Usage

The verb is transitive and requires a direct object, typically a law, act, or regulation.

Pitfall

repealing about the law

repealing the law

Repeal is a transitive verb; it does not take a preposition like 'about' before the object.

Real-World Examples

“Scott Olson/Getty Images The Trump administration is repealing federal rules that limit greenhouse gas emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants.”
The Conversation · 22 Sept 2026

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/repealing

English Reference