In Spanish, “revocar” fits formal decisions, while “anular,” “cancelar,” and “retirar” cover voiding, calling off, or taking something back.
“Revoke” can mean a few things in English. You might revoke a license, revoke access, revoke an offer, or revoke consent. Spanish doesn’t use one verb for every case, so the best choice depends on what’s being pulled back and who’s doing it.
Below you’ll get the most natural Spanish verbs for “revoke,” plus ready-to-use sentences and common pairings.
What “Revoke” Means Before You Translate It
Start by pinning down the English meaning. “Revoke” usually lands in one of these buckets:
- Withdraw an official decision: revoke a license, revoke a permit, revoke a visa.
- Remove a permission or access: revoke admin rights, revoke app permissions.
- Declare something void: make a contract, clause, or result no longer valid.
- Take back words or an offer: retract a statement, withdraw an offer.
Spanish maps these to different verbs: revocar, anular, cancelar, retirar, rescindir, dejar sin efecto, and sometimes retractarse.
Saying “Revoke” In Spanish With The Right Verb
If you only learn one translation, learn revocar. It’s the closest match when an authority withdraws something already granted. Still, Spanish speakers switch verbs based on the object.
Revocar For Licenses, Permits, And Official Powers
Revocar is common in formal notices, policies, and legal writing. It pairs well with licencia (license), permiso (permit), autorización (authorization), and poder (power of attorney).
- La autoridad revocó la licencia por incumplimiento.
- El consulado puede revocar la visa si hay fraude.
- Voy a revocar el poder notarial.
Anular When Something Becomes Void
Anular means “to void” or “to nullify.” Use it when the focus is the validity of a document, vote, booking, or result.
- El juez decidió anular el contrato.
- Van a anular la elección por irregularidades.
- Necesito anular mi cita de mañana.
Cancelar For Calling Something Off
Cancelar is the everyday choice for plans, subscriptions, reservations, and services.
- Quiero cancelar la suscripción.
- La aerolínea canceló el vuelo.
- ¿Cómo puedo cancelar el pedido?
Retirar For Taking Back Access, Rights, Or Content
Retirar means “to withdraw” or “to remove.” It works well when you’re pulling access, removing rights, or taking something off the table.
- El administrador va a retirar tu acceso al sistema.
- La empresa retiró el permiso de uso.
- El autor pidió retirar el artículo.
In tech UI language, you’ll often see retirar acceso, retirar permisos, or quitar acceso when the writing is more plain.
Rescindir For Ending A Contract
Rescindir is for terminating a contract or agreement, often tied to a clause or a breach.
- La empresa decidió rescindir el contrato.
- Podemos rescindir el acuerdo si no se cumple la cláusula.
Dejar Sin Efecto For Official Wording
Dejar sin efecto is a fixed phrase meaning “to render null” or “to set aside.” It shows up in resolutions and formal letters.
- Se resuelve dejar sin efecto la autorización otorgada.
- La orden anterior queda sin efecto.
Common Nouns That Pair With Each Spanish Verb
A clean way to sound natural is to learn the noun pairs, not just the verb. English says “revoke” with almost anything, but Spanish expects certain combinations.
Use revocar with nouns tied to authority: licencia, permiso, autorización, mandato, poder. If you’re writing a policy line, revocar signals a formal act.
- revocar una licencia de conducir
- revocar un permiso de trabajo
- revocar una autorización de acceso
- revocar el poder notarial
Use anular with things that can be declared invalid: contrato, cláusula, voto, resultado, cita. It answers the question “is it valid?”
- anular un contrato por vicios de forma
- anular una cláusula del acuerdo
- anular una reserva
Use cancelar for services and plans: suscripción, servicio, pedido, vuelo, cita. It feels normal in customer support and everyday talk.
Use retirar when something is pulled back or removed: acceso, oferta, contenido, permiso, consentimiento. It’s a solid bridge between formal and plain writing.
Match Table For “Revoke” Situations
Use this table to pick a verb fast, then adjust the noun to match your context.
| English Intent | Best Spanish Choice | Natural Pairings |
|---|---|---|
| Revoke a license or permit | Revocar | revocar una licencia, revocar un permiso |
| Revoke a visa or authorization | Revocar / Dejar sin efecto | revocar una visa, dejar sin efecto una autorización |
| Revoke access or privileges | Retirar / Quitar | retirar acceso, quitar permisos |
| Revoke consent | Retirar / Revocar | retirar el consentimiento, revocar el consentimiento |
| Revoke an offer | Retirar | retirar una oferta |
| Revoke a statement | Retractarse / Retirar | retractarse de lo dicho, retirar una declaración |
| Make a contract or clause void | Anular | anular un contrato, anular una cláusula |
| End a contract early | Rescindir | rescindir el contrato, rescindir el acuerdo |
| Withdraw a resolution or order | Dejar sin efecto | dejar sin efecto una orden, dejar sin efecto una resolución |
How “Revocar” Conjugates In Useful Forms
These are the forms that show up most in notices, emails, and admin messages.
- Infinitive: revocar
- Present (yo): revoco
- Present (usted/él/ella): revoca
- Preterite (usted/él/ella): revocó
- Past participle: revocado / revocada
- Subjunctive / command (usted): revoque
That “qu” spelling in revoque keeps the hard “k” sound.
Short Templates For A Formal Revocation Message
If you’re drafting a notice, Spanish often uses passive-style lines that keep the tone neutral. These patterns show up in emails, letters, and internal memos.
- Passive se: Se revoca la autorización otorgada el [fecha].
- Decision wording: Se procede a revocar el permiso por incumplimiento.
- Effect wording: A partir de hoy, la autorización queda sin efecto.
- Access line: Se retirará el acceso al sistema en un plazo de 24 horas.
Swap revoca for anula when the focus is invalidity, and swap retira when the action is removing access or an offer.
When you write dates, keep the format clear, and use the same verb tense across the whole notice.
Revoke Access And Permissions In Spanish
In software and IT writing, “revoke” often refers to access or permissions. Spanish varies by tone and by interface style. You’ll see these common choices:
Retirar Acceso
- Podemos retirar el acceso si se detecta actividad sospechosa.
- El equipo de TI retiró el acceso al repositorio.
Quitar Permisos
- Vamos a quitar los permisos de administrador.
- Puedes quitar permisos desde Configuración.
Revocar Permisos
- El sistema permite revocar permisos de forma inmediata.
- Se procedió a revocar los privilegios de acceso.
Revoke Consent, Permission, Or Approval
Consent language tends to be formal, especially in privacy writing. Spanish often prefers retirar with consentimiento, and uses revocar in more official text.
Retirar El Consentimiento
- Puedes retirar tu consentimiento en cualquier momento.
- El usuario decidió retirar el consentimiento para el uso de datos.
Revocar El Consentimiento
- El titular puede revocar el consentimiento sin costo.
- La empresa debe permitir revocar el consentimiento de forma simple.
Second Match Table With Copy-Ready Lines
These starters cover the most common “revoke” cases in Spanish.
| Use Case | Spanish Line | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| License or permit | Se revoca la licencia por… | The license is revoked due to… |
| Access removal | Vamos a retirar tu acceso a… | We’re going to remove your access to… |
| Canceling a service | Quiero cancelar el servicio de… | I want to cancel the service for… |
| Offer withdrawal | La empresa retira la oferta de… | The company withdraws the offer of… |
| Voiding a document | Se anula el contrato firmado el… | The contract signed on… is voided |
| Contract termination | Se rescinde el contrato por… | The contract is terminated due to… |
| Taking back what you said | Me retracto de lo que dije. | I retract what I said. |
| Formal nullification | Se deja sin efecto la resolución… | The resolution is set aside |
Revoke An Offer, A Promise, Or A Statement
When “revoke” means “take back,” Spanish often avoids revocar unless the tone is formal. You’ll usually pick retirar for offers and retractarse for statements.
Retirar Una Oferta
- La empresa decidió retirar la oferta tras el cambio de condiciones.
- Podemos retirar la oferta si no se cumple el plazo.
Retractarse De Lo Dicho
Retractarse is reflexive. It’s the natural verb for “I take it back” when you’re talking about words or claims.
- Me retracto de lo que dije.
- El portavoz se retractó en la rueda de prensa.
Retirar Una Declaración
- El testigo pidió retirar la declaración.
Regional Notes And Style Choices
Formal writing in Spain and Latin America uses revocar, anular, and rescindir in similar ways. The day-to-day alternatives are steady too:
- Quitar is widely understood for removing access or permissions.
- Retirar reads a bit more formal than quitar in many places.
- Cancelar is universal for subscriptions, reservations, and services.
If you’re writing for a broad audience, that mix reads natural across regions.
Mistakes Learners Make With “Revoke” In Spanish
These slips show up a lot when people translate straight from English.
Using Revocar For Every Case
Revocar works for formal withdrawals, but it can sound stiff for everyday cancel actions. If you’re canceling a plan, a subscription, or a booking, cancelar usually fits better.
Mixing Up Anular And Rescindir
Anular is about validity. Rescindir is about ending a contract. If the contract is valid but you’re ending it early, use rescindir. If a court declares it invalid, use anular.
Forgetting The Reflexive Form Retractarse
To retract what you said, Spanish uses the reflexive verb: retractarse. You’ll sound natural with me retracto, se retractó, and que se retracte.
Practice: Choose The Best Verb
Say each line in English, then pick the Spanish verb that matches the situation. Check the suggested answer after you try.
Prompt 1: “They revoked his permit.”
Suggested: Le revocaron el permiso.
Prompt 2: “Revoke the app’s access.”
Suggested:Retira el acceso de la aplicación.
Mini Cheat Sheet
- Revocar: official withdrawals (licenses, permits, authorizations).
- Retirar / Quitar: remove access, permissions, consent, or an offer.
- Anular: make something void or invalid.
- Rescindir: terminate a contract or agreement.
- Cancelar: call off services, plans, reservations, subscriptions.
- Retractarse: take back a statement.
- Dejar sin efecto: formal “set aside” wording.
Match the verb to the situation and your Spanish will read like original writing, not a literal translation.