voidable

IPA/ˈvɔɪ.də.bəl/
IPA/ˈvɔɪ.də.bəl/

voidable — adjective

  • voidablepositive
  • more voidablecomparative
  • most voidablesuperlative

1. describing a contract or agreement that one party has the legal right to cancel

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing a contract or agreement that one party has the legal right to cancel — it stays valid until that person chooses to end it.

Example

Because Kenji signed the loan agreement under threat, the contract was clearly voidable.

predicative: be/was voidable

Any contract that Owen signed before his eighteenth birthday is voidable under the law.

Common collocations
  • voidable contract
  • voidable agreement
  • voidable at the buyer's option
Synonyms
  • rescindable

    more technical; stresses the formal act of calling off a deal

  • cancellable

    everyday register, not limited to law; any arrangement can be cancellable

  • revocable

    focuses on the right to take something back, often an offer, licence, or will

Antonyms
  • void

    has no legal effect from the beginning, so there is nothing to cancel

  • binding

    fixed and enforceable, with no right for either side to cancel

Grammar Patterns

a voidable + noun (contract/agreement)

be voidable

Usage Note

Almost always describes a contract, agreement, or marriage. Distinguish from 'void': a voidable contract is valid and binding until the party with the right to cancel actually does so, whereas a 'void' contract has no legal effect from the very start.

Common Mistakes

The contract is void because Mira can still cancel it.
The contract is voidable because Mira can still cancel it.
'void' means already invalid; 'voidable' means one party may choose to cancel it.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These words all touch on cancelling or undoing something, but the legal difference matters. 'Void' is the strongest: a void contract has no legal effect at all, as if it never existed, so nobody needs to cancel it. 'Voidable' is softer — the contract is fully valid and works normally until the wronged party decides to cancel it; if they do nothing, it stays in force. 'Rescindable' is close to voidable but points to the formal act of calling off the agreement, while 'revocable' usually describes an offer, licence, or will that the maker can take back. So a marriage forced by threat is voidable (the victim may cancel it), a bigamous marriage is void (invalid from day one), and a job offer sent by email is usually revocable until you accept it.

voidable ↗void ↗rescindablerevocable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • voidable contract
  • voidable agreement
  • voidable transaction
  • voidable marriage

Phrases

  • voidable at the option of the buyer
  • rendered voidable

Prepositions

  • voidable at (the option of)
  • voidable by (a party)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Voidable is built from the verb 'void', meaning to make something empty or of no effect, plus the ending '-able', which marks what can be done. 'Void' itself travelled into English through Old French from a Latin word meaning empty or vacant. So 'voidable' literally describes something that is able to be emptied of its legal force — a fitting label for an agreement that can be wiped out if one side chooses.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined above