Definition of RESCIND (original) (raw)
2
b
: to abrogate (a contract) and restore the parties to the positions they would have occupied had there been no contract
3
: to make void by action of the enacting authority or a superior authority : repeal
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
Examples of rescind in a Sentence
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disloyalty, and following a hearing before the Atomic Energy Commission in 1954, Oppenheimer's security clearance was rescinded.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 Eventually, the Navy rescinded its ban.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The navy rescinded its ban on women sailors. The company later rescinded its offer.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The Arkansas Legislative Council and Joint Budget Committee on Thursday rescinded their decision Tuesday to include $8 million in spending authority for the Arkansas Cultural Institutions Trust Fund in an appropriation that will be drafted for the state Division of Arkansas Heritage in fiscal 2026. —Michael R. Wickline, arkansasonline.com, 25 Oct. 2024 In June, the Food and Drug Administration rescinded an earlier ruling that effectively banned Juul products — but stopped short of greenlighting them for outright sale pending additional review of new health studies and case law. CORRECTION (Oct. 23, 2024, 9:52 a.m. —Rob Wile, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2024 But the Biden administration ultimately rescinded that policy following a court order that blocked it. —Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2024 The letter outlined specific steps Israel must take within 30 days, including enabling a minimum of 350 trucks to enter Gaza per day, instituting pauses in fighting to allow aid delivery and rescinding evacuation orders to Palestinian civilians when there is no operational need. —Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rescind 
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of rescind was in 1579
Dictionary Entries Near rescind
Cite this Entry
“Rescind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rescind. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
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Last Updated: 27 Oct 2024 - Updated example sentences
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