different between overturn vs annul

English

Etymology

From Middle English overturnen, equivalent to over- +? turn. Compare also Middle English overterven (“to overturn”), see terve.

Verb

overturn (third-person singular simple present overturns, present participle overturning, simple past and past participle overturned)

1. (transitive or intransitive) To turn over, capsize or upset.
2. (transitive) To overthrow or destroy.
3. (law, transitive) To reverse (a decision); to overrule or rescind.
4. (transitive) To diminish the significance of a previous defeat by winning; to make a comeback from.

Translations

Noun

overturn (plural overturns)

1. A turning over or upside-down; inversion.
2. The overturning or overthrow of some institution or state of affairs; ruin.

Anagrams

• turn over, turnover

English

Etymology

From Middle English annullen, from Old French anuller, from Latin annull? (“annihilate, annul”), from ad (“to”) + n?llus (“none, not any”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -?l
• IPA^(key): /??n?l/
• Homophone: Anal (an ethnic group in India; not to be confused with anal, which is not homophonous)

Verb

annul (third-person singular simple present annuls, present participle annulling, simple past and past participle annulled)

1. (transitive) To formally revoke the validity of.
   • 1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, Lecture 2:

     If you ask how religion thus falls on the thorns and faces death, and in the very act annuls annihilation, I cannot explain the matter, for it is religion's secret, and to understand it you must yourself have been a religious man of the extremer type.

2. (transitive) To dissolve (a marital union) on the grounds that it is not valid.

Derived terms

• annulment

Related terms

• (formally revoke the validity of): make or render null and void, null, nullify
• (dissolve (a marital union)): dissolve

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “annul”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

• Luann, Lunan