What does revocable mean?
Revocable describes a permission, grant, contract, or other arrangement that can be withdrawn or cancelled by the authority responsible for it. The word is especially common in legal and governmental contexts, including licences, delegations of authority, trusts, offers, and permits. A revocable decision is not necessarily temporary or unreliable; rather, the body that granted it retains a formal power to withdraw it. This distinguishes the term from irrevocable, which means that something cannot be withdrawn once it has been granted or formally issued. In diplomatic usage, revocable authority indicates that an official or representative acts subject to the continuing approval of the government that appointed them. The word is also useful for explaining the limits of consent and permission: giving someone revocable access does not permanently surrender control over that access.
adjectiveCapable of being revoked, withdrawn, or cancelled. The term is used especially of permissions, grants, contracts, and other arrangements that can be terminated under specified conditions.
- Able to be revoked, withdrawn, or cancelled; specifically, subject to withdrawal or termination by the person or authority that granted it.
"The council issued a revocable permit that could be withdrawn if conditions changed."
"The ambassador's authority was revocable at the discretion of the government."
"Although the offer was revocable, the company honored it in good faith."
Revocable means the decision still belongs to whoever granted it: permission can be powerful without being permanent.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does revocable come from?
Revocable was formed in English by adding the suffix -able to revoke, meaning to call back, withdraw, or cancel. Revoke ultimately comes from Latin revocare, built from re-, meaning back or again, and vocare, meaning to call. The same Latin root produced cognates such as evoke, invocation, and vocation.
Related word forms
How revocable is actually used
Most common in legal, governmental, diplomatic, and contractual contexts. It describes something that may remain valid until it is formally withdrawn and does not necessarily imply that withdrawal is likely.
Easily confused with revocable
Revokable is an alternative spelling of revocable, especially in legal and American usage.
A revocable authorization may be withdrawn, whereas an irrevocable one cannot be cancelled or taken back once granted.