Definition

The legislative equivalent of "Never mind!" where politicians undo a law they previously swore was absolutely essential. It's the process of officially canceling legislation, often after discovering that laws sometimes have consequences nobody bothered to think through. Repealing is much harder than passing laws, which explains why terrible regulations live forever while good ideas die in committee.

Example Usage

After 50 failed attempts to repeal the healthcare law, they finally succeeded, then immediately had to figure out what to replace it with.

Source: Common legislative terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

constitution

A nation's fundamental rulebook that everyone claims to revere but interprets in wildly different ways depending on their political agenda. It's the document that simultaneously guarantees your rights and gives lawyers enough ambiguity to argue about what those rights actually mean for centuries. Unlike software terms of service, people occasionally read this one—then spend the next several hours arguing about what the founders "really meant."

🏛️ Government / Politics
Beginner

Veto

The president's ultimate "nope" button that kills a bill faster than a plot twist in a soap opera. It's the most powerful single word in American government, narrowly beating "recess" and "adjourn."

🏛️ Government / Politics
Beginner

spokesperson

The professionally polished human shield designated to deliver carefully scripted messages while journalists try to make them say something unscripted. These communication ninjas master the art of talking extensively while revealing absolutely nothing, often responding to questions with phrases like "we're looking into that" or "no comment at this time." Think of them as corporate or political ventriloquist dummies, except they're real people who've trained themselves to speak in press release.

🏛️ Government / Politics
Advanced

cloture

The parliamentary equivalent of saying "okay, we've heard enough" — a motion to end debate and force a vote, requiring a supermajority in the U.S. Senate. It's democracy's way of telling long-winded senators that everyone else has places to be. Think of it as the legislative mute button for filibusters.

🏛️ Government / Politics
Intermediate

Mandate

What every politician claims to have after winning an election, even if they won by twelve votes and a recount. It's essentially saying "the people have spoken" while ignoring that half the people said something completely different.

🏛️ Government / Politics
Intermediate

Whistleblower

A brave soul who reports illegal activity at their workplace and is rewarded with legal protection and social ostracism in roughly equal measure. The corporate equivalent of the kid who reminded the teacher about homework.

⚖️ Legal🏛️ Government / Politics

Translate This Term

See “repeal” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on XShare on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Advanced

lolx

An experimental evolution of "LOL" where someone decided the classic acronym needed an X-factor, literally. The extra le...