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rescinded; rescinding; rescinds
2
b
: to abrogate (a contract) and restore the parties to the positions they would have occupied had there been no contract
rescinder
noun
Did you know?
Rescind and the lesser-known words exscind and prescind all come from the Latin verb scindere, which means "to cut" or "to split." Rescind was adapted from its Latin predecessor rescindere in the 16th century, and prescind (from praescindere) and exscind (from exscindere) followed in the next century. Exscind means "to cut off" or "to excise," and prescind means "to withdraw one's attention," but of the three borrowings, only rescind established itself as a common English term. Today, rescind is most often heard in contexts having to do with someone rescinding a contract or an offer, or with a legislative body rescinding a law.
Synonyms
Example Sentences
The enemies these efforts made for him concocted charges of disloyalty, and following a hearing before the Atomic Energy Commission in 1954, Oppenheimer's security clearance was rescinded.
Kai Bird et al., Smithsonian, Aug. 2005
But Maria convinced Leverich that she had the authority to rescind the executor's decision to appoint him as biographer.
John Lahr, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 1994
The Navy barred its personnel from his church, but he challenged the decree in federal court as a constitutional violation of freedom of religion. Eventually, the Navy rescinded its ban.
Randall Samborn, National Law Journal, 14 Jan. 1991
The navy rescinded its ban on women sailors.
The company later rescinded its offer.
Kai Bird et al., Smithsonian, Aug. 2005
But Maria convinced Leverich that she had the authority to rescind the executor's decision to appoint him as biographer.
John Lahr, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 1994
The Navy barred its personnel from his church, but he challenged the decree in federal court as a constitutional violation of freedom of religion. Eventually, the Navy rescinded its ban.
Randall Samborn, National Law Journal, 14 Jan. 1991
The navy rescinded its ban on women sailors.
The company later rescinded its offer.
Recent Examples on the Web
The first official reading of the water samples will occur at 3 a.m. Tuesday morning, after which the city will be able to rescind the boil water notice pending TCEQ approval.
Chron, 28 Nov. 2022
Oregon Senate lawmakers will meet Monday in committee to consider whether to rescind the requirement that Sen. Brian Boquist, I-Dallas, give 12 hours’ notice before reporting to the state Capitol for work.
oregonlive, 27 Nov. 2022
Allen began paying her rent to the court and in June reached a settlement with VineBrook to rescind both the rent increase and the eviction; the settlement was filed with the court and reviewed by NBC News.
Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2022
That same month, President Joe Biden tried to rescind the health policy, but a federal judge in Louisiana subsequently blocked the administration’s efforts, leaving the policy in place indefinitely.
The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2022
That was enough to prompt Delhi’s Pollution Control Board to rescind the toughest of the measures ordered Friday.
Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Nov. 2022
Abdel Fattah’s family and friends say that one potential path to freedom could be if Egypt agreed to rescind his Egyptian citizenship and deport him to Britain.
Siobhán O'grady, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2022
That ruling required the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission to rescind its guidance that allowed the spoiling of ballots that had already been cast.
From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2022
That ruling required the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission to rescind its guidance that allowed the spoiling of ballots that had already been cast.
Scott Bauer, ajc, 28 Oct. 2022
See More
Chron, 28 Nov. 2022
Oregon Senate lawmakers will meet Monday in committee to consider whether to rescind the requirement that Sen. Brian Boquist, I-Dallas, give 12 hours’ notice before reporting to the state Capitol for work.
oregonlive, 27 Nov. 2022
Allen began paying her rent to the court and in June reached a settlement with VineBrook to rescind both the rent increase and the eviction; the settlement was filed with the court and reviewed by NBC News.
Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2022
That same month, President Joe Biden tried to rescind the health policy, but a federal judge in Louisiana subsequently blocked the administration’s efforts, leaving the policy in place indefinitely.
The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2022
That was enough to prompt Delhi’s Pollution Control Board to rescind the toughest of the measures ordered Friday.
Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Nov. 2022
Abdel Fattah’s family and friends say that one potential path to freedom could be if Egypt agreed to rescind his Egyptian citizenship and deport him to Britain.
Siobhán O'grady, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2022
That ruling required the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission to rescind its guidance that allowed the spoiling of ballots that had already been cast.
From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2022
That ruling required the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission to rescind its guidance that allowed the spoiling of ballots that had already been cast.
Scott Bauer, ajc, 28 Oct. 2022
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rescind.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French rescinder "to reduce, cut, cancel, break (a contract)," borrowed from Latin rescindere "to remove or lay bare by hewing and cutting, cut or tear open, cancel, annul," from re- re- + scindere "to split, cleave, separate" — more at shed entry 1
First Known Use
1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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Dictionary Entries Near rescind
Cite this Entry
“Rescind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rescind. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.
Kids Definition
Legal Definition
rescind
verb
re·scind
ri-ˈsind 
2
: to abrogate (a contract or transaction) by mutual agreement, judicial decree, or unilateral declaration because of fraud, mistake, duress, misrepresentation, illegality, a breach, or another sufficient ground with both parties restored to their positions before the contract was made compare cancel, terminate
: to rescind something (as a contract)
rescindable
adjective
-ˈsin-də-bəl
More from Merriam-Webster on rescind
Nglish: Translation of rescind for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of rescind for Arabic Speakers
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