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nullifier

nullifier

9.9
A person who believes a state can refuse federal laws it finds unconstitutional
  • noun
  • /ˈnʌlɪˌfaɪər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : nulificador
  • The nullifier argued passionately that federal laws should not override state decisions.

Examples

  • Many politicians in the South identified as nullifiers during the debate over states' rights.

  • If they persist, Georgia may align with the nullifiers, like South Carolina.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Question for the nullifiers:

    Blog text (31)

  • "Should a nullifier be entitled to disregard that prohibition and vote to acquit a gay-basher in defiance of both the law and the jury instructions?

    Blog text (31)

  • In the 1830s, some Southern leaders proudly referred to themselves as nullifiers in opposition to federal authority.

Antonyms

enforcer
10 4.3

A person who makes sure people follow rules or laws

Surface Forms

nullifier singular
nullifiers plural

Morphology

nullifier = nullify (transparent) = null + ify + er

The agent/instrument '‑er' is added to the verb 'nullify', a straightforward formation meaning 'one or that which nullifies'.

Etymology

Nullifier comes from the root null meaning 'not any' or 'nothing' and the ending -er meaning 'one who'. A helpful image is a person who tries to make a federal law 'nothing', which is why a political nullifier argues a state can reject or ignore federal laws.