What does revocation mean?
Revocation means the formal withdrawal or cancellation of something that was previously authorized or granted. It commonly applies to licenses, permits, privileges, appointments, contracts, and official decisions. The word carries a strongly administrative and legal tone, suggesting an intentional act by an authority rather than a simple failure or informal change. For example, a government agency may revoke a business license, while a court may annul or rescind an earlier order; both actions end a legal status that had previously existed. Revocation can also describe the withdrawal of political or institutional privileges. Because it emphasizes official procedure and authority, revocation is more formal and precise than words such as cancellation or withdrawal and is especially useful when describing the exercise of power to end a previously valid permission.
nounThe act of formally withdrawing, cancelling, or invalidating an authorization, privilege, right, or official decision. The term is especially common in legal, governmental, and administrative contexts.
- The formal cancellation or withdrawal of a right, privilege, license, authorization, or decision.
- The annulment or rescission of a legal act, such as a permit, appointment, or official ruling.
- The withdrawal of a previously granted power or right, especially from a person or organization.
"The suspension led to the immediate revocation of the company's operating license."
"The court ordered the revocation of the defendant's suspended sentence."
"The announcement was made after the revocation of the politician's parliamentary privileges."
Plural revocations refers to multiple formal cancellations or withdrawals of authorizations, rights, or decisions.
"The series of revocations caused the organization to halt its operations."
Revocation is the formal undoing of permission: it does not merely make a right disappear, but officially declares that the authority granting it has ended.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does revocation come from?
Revocation comes from Latin revocatio, a noun meaning a calling back or recalling, formed from revocare, “to call back.” In English, the word developed in legal and administrative contexts to mean the formal withdrawal of an earlier grant or decision. The same Latin root is reflected in English words such as vocation, advocate, and provoke, all of which involve forms of calling or invoking.
Related word forms
How revocation is actually used
This is a formal word common in legal, governmental, and institutional contexts. It usually describes an official cancellation by someone with authority, rather than an informal withdrawal or ordinary cancellation.
Easily confused with revocation
Revocation generally means formally withdrawing an authorization or decision, whereas recall more often means withdrawing a product or recalling someone, such as a diplomat or a recalled product.
Rescind refers specifically to cancelling or withdrawing a legal agreement or decision, while revocation is broader and can apply to licenses, privileges, and authorizations.