repeal

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman repeler, from Old French rapeler (“to call back, call in, call after, revoke”), from Latin repellō (“drive or thrust back”), from re- and pellō (“push or strike”). Doublet of repel.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ɹəˈpiːl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːl

Verb

repeal (third-person singular simple present repeals, present participle repealing, simple past and past participle repealed)

1. (transitive) To cancel, invalidate, annul.

   to repeal a law

   • c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

     […] I here divorce myself
     Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed,
     Until that act of parliament be repeal’d
     Whereby my son is disinherited.

   • 1776, Samuel Johnson, letter to James Boswell, cited in James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, London: Charles Dilly, 1791, p. 8,^[1]

     As manners make laws, manners likewise repeal them.

   • 1791, Thomas Paine, Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke’s Attack on the French Revolution, London: […] J. S. Jordan, […], →OCLC, page 15:

     It requires but a very small glance of thought to perceive, that altho’ laws made in one generation often continue in force through succeeding generations, yet that they continue to derive their force from the consent of the living. A law not repealed continues in force, not because it cannot be repealed, but because it is not repealed; and the non-repealing passes for consent.

   • 2024 February 7, Mel Holley, “Network News: War of words between Prime Minister and union”, in RAIL, number 1002, page 14:

     Labour says it will repeal the legislation if it wins the next General Election.

2. To recall; to summon (a person) again; to bring (a person) back from exile or banishment.
   • 1594 (first publication), Christopher Marlow[e], The Trovblesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edvvard the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     There weepe, for till my Gaueston be repeald,
     Assure thy selfe thou comst not in my sight.

   • 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene 2]:

     The banish’d Bolingbroke repeals himself,
     And with uplifted arms is safe arrived […]

3. To suppress; to repel.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 59-60:

     Whence Adam soon repeal’d
     The doubts that in his heart arose.

Synonyms

• annul, cancel, invalidate, revoke, veto

Translations

to cancel

• Bulgarian: отменям (bg) (otmenjam), анулирам (bg) (anuliram)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 撤消 (zh) (chèxiāo), 廢除／废除 (zh) (fèichú)

• Czech: zrušit (cs) pf, odvolat (cs) pf, prohlásit za neplatný pf
• Dutch: terugtrekken (nl), annuleren (nl), afschaffen (nl), herroepen (nl)
• Finnish: kumota (fi)
• French: abroger (fr) (a law), annuler (fr) (a decision, a law), révoquer (fr) (a person)
• German: annullieren (de)
• Hungarian: hatálytalanít (hu), hatályon kívül helyez (hu), megsemmisít (hu), eltöröl (hu), visszavon (hu)
• Indonesian: membatalkan (id)
• Irish: aisghair, cuir ar ceal
• Italian: annullare (it), revocare (it)
• Malay: mansuh
• Persian: لغو کردن (fa) (lağv kardan)
• Portuguese: revogar (pt), anular (pt)
• Russian: отменя́ть (ru) impf (otmenjátʹ), отмени́ть (ru) pf (otmenítʹ), аннули́ровать (ru) impf or pf (annulírovatʹ)
• Spanish: derogar (es)
• Swedish: upphäva (sv), avskaffa (sv)
• Welsh: diddymu (cy)

Noun

repeal (countable and uncountable, plural repeals)

1. An act or instance of repealing.
   • Wednesday June 02, 2021, Has the Northern Ireland Protocol undermined the United Kingdom?

     When a newer Act of Parliament is incompatible with earlier law, it usually takes precedence, under the doctrine of “implied repeal”.

Anagrams

• Lapeer, Leaper, leaper