'annulation' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'annulatio', where 'annulus' meant 'ring' and the suffix '-atio' denoted 'action or process'.

'annulation' changed from the Medieval/Latin form 'annulatio' (used in Medieval Latin and Old French contexts) and eventually entered English as 'annulation' with senses related to rings or the act of annulling.

Initially, it referred primarily to the formation or presence of rings ('ring action/condition'); over time it has been used both for physical ring-like markings and, less commonly, for acts of annulling (a shift or broadening of meaning).