Rejection of Offer

In one sentence

A clear refusal to accept an offer, which ends the offer's power to create a contract.

Plain English

When someone rejects an offer, they are saying no to the proposed deal. Once you reject an offer, it's dead—you can't change your mind later and accept it unless the other person makes a new offer. A rejection can be express (you say 'no') or implied (you do something that shows you're not interested). After a rejection, the person who made the offer is free to offer it to someone else or walk away.

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Example

A seller offers to sell her car to a buyer for $10,000. The buyer says, 'No, that's too expensive.' The buyer has rejected the offer. Two weeks later, the buyer changes her mind and tries to accept the $10,000 price, but the seller can refuse because the offer was already rejected and is no longer open.

Used in a sentence

“The buyer's rejection of the offer meant the seller was no longer bound to hold the price open.”

Related terms

Offer

A proposal to enter into a binding agreement on specific terms.

Acceptance

Agreeing to the exact terms of an offer, creating a binding contract.

Lapse of Offer

An offer that expires because too much time has passed or a condition fails.

Revocation of Offer

A withdrawal of an offer by the person who made it, ending the other party's power to accept.

Objective Theory of Contracts

The legal rule that contract meaning is based on what a reasonable person would understand, not secret thoughts.

Consideration

Something of value exchanged by each party to make a contract binding.

Offeror

The person who makes an offer to enter into a contract.

Offeree

The person who receives an offer and has the power to accept or reject it.

This page is a plain-English reference and is not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time. For specific situations consult a licensed attorney.