What does repealer mean?
A repealer is a person or official with authority to revoke a law, regulation, or official decision. The word is especially associated with American legal and governmental usage, in which it denotes the person or body responsible for formally annulling an earlier rule or statute. Historically, it also referred to an official charged with enforcing local prohibition legislation, particularly in temperance-era America. In modern contexts, the term may describe an appointed official, an administrative authority, or, occasionally, a broader political role connected with repeal. Although 'repealer' can sound informal because of its everyday ending '-er', it is an established technical term in legal writing. Its significance lies in expressing institutional authority to undo a rule through the proper process rather than merely ignoring or temporarily suspending it.
nounA person or official empowered to repeal, revoke, or annul a law, regulation, or official decision. The term is also used historically for an official responsible for enforcing local prohibition laws.
- A person or official who repeals a law, regulation, or official decision.
- Historically, an official appointed to enforce local prohibition laws, especially in the United States.
"The committee appointed a repealer to oversee the annulment of the outdated regulation."
"The law's repeal gave the state repealer authority to remove the obsolete restrictions from municipal codes."
"Under the local option system, the town repealer was responsible for enforcing the prohibition on alcohol sales."
The regular plural refers to multiple people or officials with repeal authority.
"The state repealers submitted a joint report on the regulations they had annulled."
A repealer is the legal eraser: empowered to make a law disappear from the books.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does repealer come from?
The word 'repealer' was formed in English by adding the agent suffix '-er' to 'repeal'. 'Repeal' comes through Anglo-French from Latin 'repellere', meaning to drive back or repel, though its legal sense developed to mean formally annulling a law or ruling. Related English words trace to Latin 'repetere', including 'repeat', while 'repertoire' and 'reprise' also reflect forms of that Latin root.
How repealer is actually used
The word is most common in American legal and governmental contexts. In British English, 'repeal' is the usual noun and verb for formally revoking legislation, while 'repealer' is comparatively uncommon.
Easily confused with repealer
A repealer is an official who revokes a law or rule, whereas a repeller is a device that keeps something away or a person who drives away unwanted attention.