Overrule

To annul, to make void. This word is frequently used to signify that a case has been decided directly opposite to a former case; when this takes place, the first decided case is said to be overruled as a precedent and cannot any longer be considered as of binding authority.

The term overrule also signifies that a majority of the judges have decided against the opinion of the minority, in which case the latter are said to be overruled.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.