What does revoked mean?
Revoked describes something whose authority or permission has been withdrawn, such as a licence, permit, passport, privilege, or right of access. In legal and administrative contexts, it indicates more than simple discouragement: the authorization is no longer valid, and the relevant official or institution has formally withdrawn it. The word is also the past tense and past participle of the verb revoke. Revoked access to a system means that an account or authorization has been cancelled, while a revoked licence means that the person is no longer legally permitted to perform the activity that the licence covered. Although the word can sound formal, it is widely understood and appears frequently in notices, regulations, and reports about permissions and official status.
Withdrawn, cancelled, or declared invalid, especially by an official authority.
"The bank suspended accounts belonging to sanctioned individuals and revoked their access to the service."
Common with licences, permits, passports, credentials, and access rights.
Past tense and past participle of revoke: to withdraw or cancel an authorization or privilege.
"The committee revoked the award after discovering that the application contained false information."
A revoked permission does not merely discourage an action—it makes the authorization itself invalid.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does revoked come from?
The word comes through Middle English from Old French revoker, ultimately from Latin revocare, meaning “to call back” or “to summon back.” The Latin prefix re- conveys reversal, while vocare means “to call.” The modern sense of withdrawing an authorization developed from the earlier idea of recalling or withdrawing something that had been granted.
Related word forms
How revoked is actually used
The word is formal and commonly used in legal, administrative, and institutional contexts. It is especially frequent with licences, permits, passports, privileges, and access rights. As a verb form, it normally appears in the past tense or as a past participle.