Annulled means legally declared to be void or invalid, effectively canceling something such as a contract or marriage. It indicates that the prior arrangement has no legal effect from the outset. The term is often used in formal or legal contexts, though it can appear in historical writing or regulatory language as well.
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"The marriage was annulled after discovering it was not legally binding."
"The contract was annulled due to misrepresentation by one party."
"A court may annul a will if it was created under duress."
"The policy was annulled when the company admitted the error in its terms."
Annulled traces to Old French annuler, from Latin annullare, formed from the prefix ad- 'to, toward' plus nullus 'none, nothing' and the verb-lation suffix -are, conveying the sense of making into nothing. The root null- meaning 'nothing' or 'zero' sits at the core of English words like null, nuisance, and nullify. In medieval and early modern law, annullare appeared to describe orders or decrees that nullified rights, obligations, or agreements. By the 14th–16th centuries, English borrowed annullen and annull, spelling evolved to annul and annulment, while the past participle took the form annulled in standard usage. The sense expanded beyond strictly legal contexts to denote the erasure or invalidation of any action, decision, or status, and by the 19th century, annulled had settled into common legal and regulatory language as “canceled with legal effect from the outset.” Today, annulled maintains its core notion of voiding something from its inception, with modern usage spanning marriages, contracts, laws, and administrative acts. It’s often paired with terms like void, rescind, or voidable, emphasizing retroactive nullification or formal invalidation. The phonology retains the short “a” vowel in the first syllable and a tense, bilabial /b/ followed by the dark /l/ of “ll,” with final -ed pronounced as /d/ in fluent speech when the preceding consonant is a voiced sound, though some speakers may assimilate the last vowel before /d/ into a syllabic rhythm. First known use in English appears in legal and administrative documents from the 15th century, reflecting the ongoing refinement of contract and marriage law in post-medieval Europe.
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Words that rhyme with "annulled"
-led sounds
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Pronounce as /əˈnəld/ (US) or /əˈnʌld/ (UK/AU). The stress is on the second syllable: a-NUL-led. Start with a schwa /ə/ in the first syllable, then a short neutral vowel in the second syllable, and end with /ld/. The double consonant l creates a light, dark-l blend before the final /d/. Keep the /n/ clearly nasal between /ə/ and /n/ and avoid turning it into /əl/ before /d/. Audio references: YouGlish or Cambridge dictionary audio for “annulled.”
Two frequent errors: (1) Reducing the second syllable to /əl/ or /əl/ as in full neutral schwa behavior; keep it as /neld/ with the /n/ before the /l/ cluster, not a vowel before the final /ld/. (2) Slurring the /n/ into the /ə/ or the /l/ into /d/. Maintain a clear /n/ before /l/ and ensure the /ld/ cluster is released rather than merged into one sound. Correct by practicing the sequence a-nul-led with a light but audible /n/ and a crisp /ld/ ending, like saying ‘an-neld’ in a single smooth beat but still distinctted syllables.
In US, the second syllable tends to be /nəld/ with a stronger schwa before the /l/ in casual speech: /əˈnəld/. In UK and many AU accents, you’ll often hear /əˈnʌld/ with a more back, short /ʌ/ vowel in the stressed syllable; rhoticity is variable in informal speech but the final /ld/ remains a clear consonant cluster. Across accents, the critical features are stable: initial unstressed /ə/, stressed /nʌ/ or /ən/ depending on locale, and a crisp /ld/ release. Lip position and tongue contact stay consistent for the /l/ and /d/ sounds, with less vowel reduction in careful speech.
The difficulty centers on the two-consonant cluster /ld/ following a short, clipped vowel in the second syllable and the immediate transition from the nucleus to the final /ld/ without inserting an extra vowel. Non-native speakers often insert an extra syllable or misarticulate the /l/ or /d/ by not clearly releasing the /d/. Practice focusing on the clear /n/ before the /l/ and a crisp, audible /ld/ release; keep the second syllable shorter and more closed than typical English vowels.
What is the effect of the surrounding alveolar consonants on the /n/ in annu lled? The /n/ in annu- is alveolar, produced with the tongue touching the alveolar ridge behind the upper teeth. The presence of the following /l/ causes a subtle anticipatory contact that can slightly change the timing of the /n/ release. In careful speech, ensure the /n/ remains a distinct nasal and that the /l/ begins promptly after the /n/ without vowel insertion. The IPA guidance remains /əˈnəld/ (US) or /əˈnʌld/ (UK/AU).
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