nullify
/ˈnʌlɪfaɪ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.85 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To make of no use or value; to cancel out.
Example Sentences
- "Near-synonyms: cancel, void, quash"
- "The contract has been nullified."
- "[T]hey were baffled by tears in moustached sixth-formers, by walls of impassivity in the Lower School, by silent conspiracies which nullified the rules."
- "Lesbians for Justice therefore appeals to the organizers of the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival to nullify its "womyn-born-womyn only" policy, and to allow the attendance of post-operative male-to-female transsexuals at all future festivals."
- "The persuasion that a thing is impossible, at once nullifies endeavour, and like the Turkish "it is fate," torporises activity and exertion."
- "Blowproof water has given the Navy the weapon it needed to fight fires with helicopters. Previously, the downwash from the rotor blades blew the foam, or whatever agent was being used, off the fire, nullifying its effect."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Italic *oinosder. Proto-Italic *noinolos Latin nūllusder. Old French nul Middle French nulbor. English null Latin -i- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-der. Proto-Italic *θakos Proto-Italic *-fakos Latin -ficus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin -ficō Latin -ificāreder. Old French -ifierbor. Middle English -ifien English -ify English nullify From null + -ify.