Reverse vs. Revoke — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 21, 2024
Reverse is about changing direction or position, often back to an original state. Revoke, on the other hand, means to officially cancel or withdraw a decision, right, or privilege.
Difference Between Reverse and Revoke
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Reverse typically involves changing something back to its previous state or position, implying a return to a prior condition in processes, decisions, or actions. Revoke focuses on the official cancellation or annulment of something, such as rights, licenses, or laws.
In legal contexts, reverse can mean to overturn a previous court decision, thus altering the outcome of a case. This demonstrates a return to a state before the decision was made, indicating a form of correction or adjustment. Revoke, in contrast, has a stronger connotation of removal or termination, often with no implication of returning to a previous state. It’s more about nullifying authority or permissions rather than correcting or adjusting them.
While reverse can apply to various scenarios from physical movements to abstract concepts, highlighting versatility, revoke is more specific in its application, primarily concerning the formal or legal cancellation of rights, decisions, or permissions.
Comparison Chart
Definition
To change to the opposite direction or position
To officially cancel or withdraw a decision or right
Context
General, can be physical or metaphorical
Often legal or formal
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Implication
Returning to a previous state
Removal or cancellation without returning
Application
Decisions, actions, movements
Rights, licenses, laws
Connotation
Correction, adjustment
Termination, nullification
Compare with Definitions
Reverse
Change to opposite direction.
To reverse the car, check the rearview mirror.
Revoke
Annul privileges.
His access to the classified information was revoked.
Reverse
Change a decision.
The company decided to reverse its policy on remote work.
Revoke
Officially cancel a right.
The state can revoke your driver's license for DUI.
Reverse
Turn something inside out.
Reverse your jacket to show the other side.
Revoke
Rescind an offer.
The job offer was revoked after the background check.
Reverse
Move backward.
The video reverses at the touch of a button.
Revoke
Withdraw a law.
The government plans to revoke the outdated regulations.
Reverse
Overturn a judgment.
The higher court reversed the previous decision.
Revoke
Nullify permissions.
Permissions for the event were revoked due to safety concerns.
Reverse
Turned backward in position, direction, or order
The reverse side of the poster.
Revoke
In trick-taking card games, a revoke (or renege, or ) is a violation of the rules regarding the play of tricks serious enough to render the round invalid. A revoke is a violation ranked in seriousness somewhat below overt cheating, and is considered a minor offense when unintentional.
Reverse
Moving, acting, or organized in a manner contrary to the usual
In reverse order.
Revoke
To invalidate or cause to no longer be in effect, as by voiding or canceling
Her license was revoked.
Reverse
Causing backward movement
A reverse gear.
Revoke
To fail to follow suit in cards when required and able to do so.
Reverse
(Printing) Printed in such a way that the normally colored part appears white against a colored or black background.
Revoke
Failure to follow suit in a card game when required and able to do so.
Reverse
The opposite or contrary
All along we thought Sue was older than Bill, but just the reverse was true.
Revoke
(transitive) To cancel or invalidate by withdrawing or reversing.
Your driver's license will be revoked.
I hereby revoke all former wills.
Reverse
The back or rear part
The reverse of the flyer.
Revoke
(intransitive) To fail to follow suit in a game of cards when holding a card in that suit.
Reverse
The side of a coin or medal that does not carry the principal design; the verso.
Revoke
(obsolete) To call or bring back.
Reverse
A change to an opposite position, condition, or direction.
Revoke
(obsolete) To hold back.
Reverse
A change in fortune from better to worse; a setback
Suffered financial reverses.
Revoke
(obsolete) To move (something) back or away.
Reverse
A mechanism, such as a gear in a motor vehicle, that is used to reverse movement.
Revoke
(obsolete) To call back to mind.
Reverse
The position or operating condition of such a mechanism.
Revoke
The act of revoking in a game of cards.
Reverse
Movement in an opposite direction.
Revoke
A renege; a violation of important rules regarding the play of tricks in trick-taking card games serious enough to render the round invalid.
Reverse
(Football) An offensive play in which a ball carrier running in one direction executes a handoff to a player running in the opposite direction.
Revoke
A violation ranked in seriousness somewhat below overt cheating, with the status of a more minor offense only because, when it happens, it is usually accidental.
Reverse
To turn around to the opposite direction
The wind reversed the weather vane.
Revoke
To call or bring back; to recall.
The faint sprite he did revoke again,To her frail mansion of morality.
Reverse
To turn inside out or upside down
Reverse a jacket.
Revoke
Hence, to annul, by recalling or taking back; to repeal; to rescind; to cancel; to reverse, as anything granted by a special act; as, , to revoke a will, a license, a grant, a permission, a law, or the like.
Reverse
To exchange the positions of; transpose
Reversed the people on stage.
Revoke
To hold back; to repress; to restrain.
[She] still strove their sudden rages to revoke.
Reverse
(Law) To change or set aside (a lower court's decision).
Revoke
To draw back; to withdraw.
Reverse
To cause to adopt a contrary viewpoint
Reversed himself during the campaign.
Revoke
To call back to mind; to recollect.
A man, by revoking and recollecting within himself former passages, will be still apt to inculcate these sad memoris to his conscience.
Reverse
To change to the opposite
Reversed their planned course of action.
Revoke
To fail to follow suit when holding a card of the suit led, in violation of the rule of the game; to renege.
Reverse
To cause (an engine or mechanism) to function in reverse.
Revoke
The act of revoking.
She [Sarah Battle] never made a revoke.
Reverse
To direct that (a charge) apply to the person receiving instead of making a telephone call.
Revoke
The mistake of not following suit when able to do so
Reverse
To turn or move in the opposite direction.
Revoke
Fail to follow suit when able and required to do so
Reverse
To reverse the action of an engine.
Revoke
Annul by recalling or rescinding;
He revoked the ban on smoking
Lift an embargo
Vacate a death sentence
Reverse
Opposite, contrary; going in the opposite direction.
We ate the meal in reverse order, starting with dessert and ending with the starter.
The mirror showed us a reverse view of the scene.
Reverse
Pertaining to engines, vehicle movement etc. moving in a direction opposite to the usual direction.
He selected reverse gear.
Reverse
To be in the non-default position; to be set for the lesser-used route.
Reverse
Turned upside down; greatly disturbed.
Reverse
(botany) Reversed.
A reverse shell
Reverse
(genetics) In which cDNA synthetization is obtained from an RNA template.
Reverse
In a reverse way or direction; in reverse; upside-down.
Reverse
The opposite of something.
We believed the Chinese weren't ready for us. In fact, the reverse was true.
Reverse
The act of going backwards; a reversal.
Reverse
A piece of misfortune; a setback.
Reverse
The tails side of a coin, or the side of a medal or badge that is opposite the obverse.
Reverse
The side of something facing away from a viewer, or from what is considered the front; the other side.
Reverse
The gear setting of an automobile that makes it travel backwards.
Reverse
A thrust in fencing made with a backward turn of the hand; a backhanded stroke.
Reverse
(surgery) A turn or fold made in bandaging, by which the direction of the bandage is changed.
Reverse
(transitive) To turn something around so that it faces the opposite direction or runs in the opposite sequence.
To reverse the order of books on a shelf
To reverse a portion of video footage
Reverse
(transitive) To turn something inside out or upside down.
Reverse
(transitive) To transpose the positions of two things.
Reverse
(transitive) To change totally; to alter to the opposite.
All trends reverse eventually.
Reverse
To return, come back.
Reverse
To turn away; to cause to depart.
Reverse
To cause to return; to recall.
Reverse
(legal) To revoke a law, or to change a decision into its opposite.
To reverse a judgment, sentence, or decree
Reverse
To cause a mechanism to operate or move in the opposite direction to normal; to drive a vehicle in the direction the driver has the back.
Reverse
(chemistry) To change the direction of a reaction such that the products become the reactants and vice-versa.
Reverse
To place (a set of points) in the reverse position.
Reverse
To move from the normal position to the reverse position.
Reverse
To engage reverse thrust on (an engine).
Reverse
To overthrow; to subvert.
Reverse
(computing) reverse-engineer
Reverse
Turned backward; having a contrary or opposite direction; hence; opposite or contrary in kind; as, the reverse order or method.
Reverse
Turned upside down; greatly disturbed.
He found the sea diverseWith many a windy storm reverse.
Reverse
Reversed; as, a reverse shell.
Reverse
That which appears or is presented when anything, as a lance, a line, a course of conduct, etc., is reverted or turned contrary to its natural direction.
He did so with the reverse of the lance.
Reverse
That which is directly opposite or contrary to something else; a contrary; an opposite.
And then mistook reverse of wrong for right.
To make everything the reverse of what they have seen, is quite as easy as to destroy.
Reverse
The act of reversing; complete change; reversal; hence, total change in circumstances or character; especially, a change from better to worse; misfortune; a check or defeat; as, the enemy met with a reverse.
The strange reverse of fate you see;I pitied you, now you may pity me.
By a reverse of fortune, Stephen becomes rich.
Reverse
The back side; as, the reverse of a drum or trench; the reverse of a medal or coin, that is, the side opposite to the obverse. See Obverse.
Reverse
A thrust in fencing made with a backward turn of the hand; a backhanded stroke.
Reverse
A turn or fold made in bandaging, by which the direction of the bandage is changed.
Reverse
To turn back; to cause to face in a contrary direction; to cause to depart.
And that old dame said many an idle verse,Out of her daughter's heart fond fancies to reverse.
Reverse
To cause to return; to recall.
And to his fresh remembrance did reverseThe ugly view of his deformed crimes.
Reverse
To change totally; to alter to the opposite.
Reverse the doom of death.
She reversed the conduct of the celebrated vicar of Bray.
Reverse
To turn upside down; to invert.
A pyramid reversed may stand upon his point if balanced by admirable skill.
Reverse
Hence, to overthrow; to subvert.
These can divide, and these reverse, the state.
Custom . . . reverses even the distinctions of good and evil.
Reverse
To overthrow by a contrary decision; to make void; to under or annual for error; as, to reverse a judgment, sentence, or decree.
Reverse
To return; to revert.
Reverse
To become or be reversed.
Reverse
A relation of direct opposition;
We thought Sue was older than Bill but just the reverse was true
Reverse
The gears by which the motion of a machine can be reversed
Reverse
An unfortunate happening that hinders of impedes; something that is thwarting or frustrating
Reverse
The side of a coin or medal that does not bear the principal design
Reverse
(American football) a running play in which a back running in one direction hands the ball to a back running in the opposite direction
Reverse
Turning in the opposite direction
Reverse
Change to the contrary;
The trend was reversed
The tides turned against him
Public opinion turned when it was revealed that the president had an affair with a White House intern
Reverse
Turn inside out or upside down
Reverse
Rule against;
The Republicans were overruled when the House voted on the bill
Reverse
Annul by recalling or rescinding;
He revoked the ban on smoking
Lift an embargo
Vacate a death sentence
Reverse
Directed or moving toward the rear;
A rearward glance
A rearward movement
Reverse
Reversed (turned backward) in order or nature or effect
Reverse
Of the transmission gear causing backward movement in a motor vehicle;
In reverse gear
Common Curiosities
What's an example of revoking in a digital context?
Revoking access to a software application is a common digital context example.
What does it mean to reverse a decision?
Reversing a decision means changing it back to what it was before.
Is reversing always physical?
No, reversing can be metaphorical, such as reversing a policy.
What does it mean to revoke a license?
It means to officially cancel the license, removing the legal right to use or do something.
Can revoking be temporary?
Typically, revoking is seen as permanent, but it depends on the context.
Is revoking a disciplinary action?
It can be, especially when used to penalize by removing rights or privileges.
Is reversing a legal action common?
It can happen, especially in appellate courts where decisions are often reversed.
Can a person reverse their own decision?
Yes, individuals can reverse their decisions based on new information or reconsideration.
How does revoking affect legal rights?
It removes or cancels legal rights or permissions previously granted.
Can a law be reversed?
Laws are generally said to be repealed or amended rather than reversed.
What's the difference between revoking and suspending?
Revoking permanently removes rights or permissions, while suspending is typically temporary.
Does revoking require legal authority?
In many cases, yes, especially when it involves rights or formal permissions.
Can reversing apply to sentences in writing?
Yes, reversing the order of words or sentences can alter meaning or emphasis in writing.
Can a company reverse its policy?
Yes, companies often reverse policies in response to feedback or changing circumstances.
Can reversing be done instantly?
Some reversals are instant, especially in physical or digital contexts, but not all.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
