nullify

nullify
nullify, negate, annul, abrogate, invalidate in general use are often interchangeable without marked loss. All then mean to deprive of effective or continued existence.
One thing nullifies another when it reduces the latter to nothingness or deprives it of effectiveness, validity, or value
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[his] historical breadth in posing the problem of human life and destiny has been nullified ... by his philosophic narrowness in seeking the answer— Mumford

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each of his virtues . . . was nullified by some rampant vice— Buchan

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when intelligent people murder themselves, or are nullified by inertia, or stereotyped by publicity, it's serious— Morley

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One thing negates another when one cannot coexist with the other or both are mutually destructive
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our actions often negate our principles

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in the water, however, buoyancy largely negates gravity, and a mass that would mean crushing death on land is supported under water without trouble— Asimov

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One thing annuls another (see also ANNUL) when it neu-tralizes the effect of the other or deprives it of power to act or work
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mystery does not annul meaning but enriches it— Niebuhr

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steady, appeasing; mitigating the need, annulling even the reason for action— Boyle

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One thing abrogates another (see also ANNUL) when it effectively dispenses with or abolishes the latter
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this law abrogates the rights of the minority

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abrogated their right to the atomic bomb when they drove a few leading scientists from their shores— Berkner

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One thing invalidates another when it deprives the latter of its force or legality. Invalidate usually implies failure to meet tests of soundness or to conform to imposed conditions
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a beneficiary under a will cannot witness the will without invalidating it

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let us try to discover how far the facts confirm or invalidate this proud claim— Huxley

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he . . . had the misuse of an extensive vocabulary and so was able to invalidate a great number of words and expressions— Connolly

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Analogous words: *neutralize, negative, counteract: offset, countervail, counterbalance, Compensate: *limit, restrict, confine

New Dictionary of Synonyms. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • nullify — nul·li·fy / nə lə ˌfī/ vt fied, fy·ing: to make null nullify a contract Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. nullify …   Law dictionary

  • nullify — nul‧li‧fy [ˈnʌlfaɪ] verb nullified PTandPP [transitive] 1. LAW to state officially that something does not have any legal force and is therefore considered not to exist: • The Illinois Supreme Court reversed the decision of two lower courts and… …   Financial and business terms

  • Nullify — Nul li*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Nullified}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Nullifying}.] [L. nullificare; nullus none + ficare (in comp.) to make. See {Null}, a., and { fy}.] To make void; to render invalid; to deprive of legal force or efficacy. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • nullify — (v.) 1590s, from L.L. nullificare to esteem lightly, despise, lit. to make nothing, from L. nullus not any (see NULL (Cf. null)) + root of facere to make (see FACTITIOUS (Cf. factitious)). Related: Nullified; nullifying …   Etymology dictionary

  • nullify — [v] cancel, revoke abate, abolish, abrogate, annihilate, annul, ax, blue pencil*, bring to naught*, call all bets off*, compensate, confine, counteract, counterbalance, countervail, disannul, forget it*, invalidate, kill*, limit, negate,… …   New thesaurus

  • nullify — ► VERB (nullifies, nullified) 1) make null and void. 2) cancel out. DERIVATIVES nullification noun …   English terms dictionary

  • nullify — [nul′ə fī΄] vt. nullified, nullifying [LL(Ec) nullificare, to despise < L nullus, none (see NULL) + facere, to make, DO1] 1. to make legally null; make void; annul 2. to make valueless or useless; bring to nothing 3. to cancel out ☆ nullifi …   English World dictionary

  • nullify — [[t]nʌ̱lɪfaɪ[/t]] nullifies, nullifying, nullified 1) VERB To nullify a legal decision or procedure means to declare that it is not legally valid. [FORMAL] [V n] He used his broad executive powers to nullify decisions by local governments... [V… …   English dictionary

  • nullify — transitive verb ( fied; fying) Etymology: Late Latin nullificare, from Latin nullus Date: 1595 1. to make null; especially to make legally null and void 2. to make of no value or consequence Synonyms: nullify, negate, annul, abrogate, invalidate …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • nullify — UK [ˈnʌlɪfaɪ] / US [ˈnʌləˌfaɪ] verb [transitive] Word forms nullify : present tense I/you/we/they nullify he/she/it nullifies present participle nullifying past tense nullified past participle nullified 1) legal to make something lose its legal… …   English dictionary

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