What does it mean to rescind a contract?

Rescinding a contract means that the contract is canceled as if it never existed. This action effectively nullifies all obligations of the parties involved, and it places them in a position as if they had never entered into the agreement. The effect of rescission is to restore the parties to their pre-contractual position, which often means that any exchanges made under the contract are reversed.

This understanding is fundamental in contract law, where rescission is typically available when there has been a misrepresentation, fraud, or mutual mistake regarding the contract's terms. The primary focus is on the intent to cancel the agreement entirely, rather than modifying, renegotiating, or transferring obligations to other parties, which are concepts represented in the other options.