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rescission

Rescission is the cancellation  or undoing of a contract  that restores the parties  to the positions they occupied before the agreement was made. The purpose is to void the contract ab initio ; that is, to treat it as though it never existed.

Rescission is unilateral when one party cancels due to the other party’s material breach , fraud , duress , or misrepresentation ; rescission is mutual when both parties agree to discharge  their obligations ; rescission is judicial when a court orders rescission because the contract is void or voidable for reasons such as illegality , mistake , lack of capacity , or public policy .

[Last reviewed in November of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team
]

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