Make Your Point: REVOKE & IRREVOCABLE

Make Your Point > Archived Issues > REVOKE & IRREVOCABLE

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pronounce these words:

Say "revoke" as "re VOKE." Hear it.

Say "irrevocable" as "ear REV uh kuh bull." Hear it.

connect these words to others:

This might sound familiar, because I've mentioned it before: the Latin vox means "word, speech, language, voice, sound, cry, call, or utterance," and it's trickled into all kinds of indispensable English words, like voice, vocal, and vocabulary, as well as the terms below:

1. To a_voc___ something is to speak for it: to speak in favor of it.

2. To e___voc___ is to speak or write in an unclear way, as if you're giving your voice equally to two opposing ideas.

3. To say something v____voce (two words) is to say it out loud, literally with your "living voice."

Today we're checking out two more relatives of vox: revoke and irrevocable. They literally mean "to call back" and "not able to be called back," respectively.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definitions:

"Revoke" has Latin bits that literally mean "to call back." To revoke something—such as an offer, a driver's license, or a scholarship—is to officially take it back or take it away.

Something revocable is able to be taken away.

And something irrevocable is the opposite: it can't be taken away. In other words, an irrevocable thing—such as a change, a truth, or a decision—is permanent and can't be undone.

grammatical bits:

Parts of speech:

"Revoke" is a verb, the transitive kind: "The state revoked her license;" "When he threw a tantrum in the restaurant, his parents revoked his screen time privileges for the week."

"Irrevocable" is an adjective: "an irrevocable change;" "The decision was irrevocable."

Other forms:

The other verb forms are "revoked" and "revoking."

The noun is "revocation."

And the adverb is "irrevocably," as in "The friendship was irrevocably damaged" and "Our country had irrevocably split in two: those for the war, and those against (Elizabeth Partridge)."

how to use them:

The words "revoke" and "irrevocable" are serious, formal, and common.

"Revoke" has a cold, businesslike tone. We talk about people in positions of power revoking things from other people. For example, parents and teachers might revoke privileges from children and students, a government might revoke drivers' licenses from its citizens, and a professional association might revoke licenses or endorsements from its members.

"Irrevocable" has a dramatic tone. We talk about irrevocable truths, changes, decisions, commands, mistakes, and destruction.

examples:

"The township was where you lived, but your status as a laborer was the only thing that permitted you to stay there. If your papers were revoked for any reason, you could be deported back to the homelands."
— Trevor Noah, Born a Crime, 2016

"He didn't try to talk me out of it, because he recognized the tone that creeps into my voice when I've made an irrevocable decision."
— Isabel Allende, The House of the Spirits, 1982

has this page helped you understand "revoke" & "irrevocable"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about these words, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study them:

Explain the meanings of "revoke" and "irrevocable" without saying "take back" or "permanent."

try one out:

Fill in the blanks: "When (some real or fictional person) (did something), they took an irrevocable (step or turn)."

Example 1: "In Season 2 of Twin Peaks, when Leland decides to kill his daughter's murderer, he takes an irrevocable turn."

Example 2: "He felt that if once he went beyond the crown of the pass and took one step veritably down into the land of Mordor, that step would be irrevocable."
— J. R. R. Tolkien, The Return of the King, 1955

Example 3: "These forks in the road can happen so fast for young boys [who stop taking school seriously]; within months or even weeks, their journeys can take a decisive and possibly irrevocable turn."
— Wes Moore, The Other Wes Moore, 2010

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

This month, our game is "Smorgasbord of Wordly Lore!"

Try a trivia question each day. It’ll have something to do with a food or a drink. You can play on hard mode by answering the question cold, or play on easy mode by highlighting the multiple choice options. To see the correct answer, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!

Try this one today: What type of bread has an Italian name that literally means "carpet slipper"?

Highlight below to reveal the multiple choice options.…
A. piadina
B. focaccia
C. ciabatta

review this word:

1. The opposite of REVOKE could be

A. GRANT or ISSUE.
B. INVOKE or SUMMON.
C. SETTLE or SUBSIDE.

2. Lily Allen's song _____ opens with a revocation: _____.

A. "LDN" .. "Riding through the city on my bike all day 'cause the filth took away my license"
B. "Nan, You're a Window Shopper" .. "Get up in the morning and you like your tea milky. You fumble for your glasses 'cause without them, you can't see"
C. "Knock 'Em Out" .. "You're just doing your own thing and someone comes out the blue, they're like, 'Alright, whataya saying? Yeah, can I take your digits?' And you're like, 'No, not in a million years, you're nasty, please, leave me alone'"

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
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How to motivate our kids to write.
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From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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