To revoke means to officially take away or cancel something that was previously given or granted. When a teacher revokes your recess privilege for misbehaving, they're removing permission you once had. When a library revokes your card for unreturned books, they're canceling your borrowing rights.

The word carries a sense of formal authority and permanence. A principal might revoke a student's hall pass, a government can revoke someone's driver's license for repeated traffic violations, and a club might revoke a member's privileges for breaking important rules. Notice that revoking is different from simply saying “no” in the first place: it means taking back something that had already been approved or allowed.

You'll often hear the word in serious contexts where rules or official permissions matter. A court might revoke someone's probation, meaning they can no longer remain free under those conditions. When something is revoked, it's been officially withdrawn, and the person or group doing the revoking usually has the power and authority to make it stick.

The opposite of revoke is grant or bestow, meaning to give or allow in the first place.