cancel

American  

[kan-suhl] / ˈkæn səl /

verb (used with object)

canceled, canceling, cancelled, cancelling

1. to make void, as a contract or other obligation; annul: to cancel a magazine subscription.

   to cancel a hotel reservation;

   to cancel a magazine subscription.

   Synonyms:

   rescind, countermand

2. to decide or announce that a planned event will not take place; call off.

   to cancel a meeting.

3. to mark or perforate (a postage stamp, admission ticket, etc.) so as to render invalid for reuse.

4. to neutralize; compensate for; counterbalance.

   His sincere apology canceled his sarcastic remark.

5. to publicly reject, boycott, or no longer support (a person or group) because of socially or morally unacceptable views or actions.

   Fans have been quick to cancel their favorite rapper or other celebrity.

6. Accounting.

   1. to close (an account) by crediting or paying all outstanding charges.

      He plans to cancel his account at the department store.

   2. to eliminate or offset (a debit, credit, etc.) with an entry for an equal amount on the opposite side of a ledger, as when a payment is received on a debt.

7. Mathematics. to eliminate by striking out a factor common to both the denominator and numerator of a fraction, equivalent terms on opposite sides of an equation, etc.

8. to cross out (words, letters, etc.) by drawing a line over the item.

9. Printing. to omit.

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verb (used without object)

canceled, canceling, cancelled, cancelling

1. to counterbalance or compensate for one another; become neutralized (often followed byout ).

   The pros and cons cancel out.

2. Mathematics. (of factors common to both the denominator and numerator of a fraction, certain terms on opposite sides of an equation, etc.) to be equivalent; to allow cancellation.

noun

• cancels
  plural

1. an act of canceling.

2. Printing, Bookbinding.

   1. an omitted passage, page, etc.

   2. a replacement for an omitted part.

cancel British  

/ ˈkænsəl /

verb

1. to order (something already arranged, such as a meeting or event) to be postponed indefinitely; call off

2. to revoke or annul

   the order for the new television set was cancelled

3. to delete (writing, numbers, etc); cross out

   he cancelled his name and substituted hers

4. to mark (a cheque, postage stamp, ticket, etc) with an official stamp or by a perforation to prevent further use

5. to counterbalance; make up for (a deficiency, etc)

   his generosity cancelled out his past unkindness

6. 1. to close (an account) by discharging any outstanding debts

   2. (sometimes foll by out) accounting to eliminate (a debit or credit) by making an offsetting entry on the opposite side of the account

7. maths

   1. to eliminate (numbers, quantities, or terms) as common factors from both the numerator and denominator of a fraction or as equal terms from opposite sides of an equation

   2. (intr) to be able to be eliminated in this way

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noun

1. a new leaf or section of a book replacing a defective one, one containing errors, or one that has been omitted

2. a less common word for cancellation

3. music a US word for natural

Usage

What's the difference between canceled and cancelled? Canceled and cancelled are alternate forms of the past tense of the verb cancel. Canceled is the primary spelling used in American English, while cancelled is the spelling used in British English and preferred in many locations, including in the U. K., Ireland, Australia, and Canada. Perhaps for this reason, cancelled is also occasionally used in American English. This is part of a general British English spelling pattern in which a single letter L at the end of a verb is doubled when the verb is changed to form a different tense, such as by adding -ed for past tense or -ing for continuous tense. So cancelling is used in British English, while canceling is primarily used in American English. This same pattern applies for many words, such as counsel, but not all. When the stress falls on the final syllable, the L is usually doubled (the past tense of propel is typically spelled propelled, for example). Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between canceled and cancelled.

Synonym Usage

Cancel, delete, erase, obliterate indicate that something is no longer to be considered usable or in force. To cancel is to cross something out by stamping a mark over it, drawing lines through it, or the like: to cancel a stamp, a word. To delete is to cross something out from written matter or from matter to be printed, often in accordance with a printer's or proofreader's symbol indicating the material is to be omitted: to delete part of a line. To erase is to remove by scraping or rubbing: to erase a capital letter. To obliterate is to blot out entirely, so as to remove all sign or trace of: to obliterate a record.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• canceler
  noun
• canceller
  noun
• recancel
  verb (used with object)
• cancelable
  adjective
• self-canceled
  adjective
• self-cancelled
  adjective
• uncancelable
  adjective
• uncanceled
  adjective
• uncancellable
  adjective
• uncancelled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cancels
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cancel

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English cancellen, cansellen “to annul, revoke,” from Anglo-French canceler, from Old French chanceler “to cross out with X's or parallel lines,” from Medieval Latin cancellāre “to cross out,” from Latin: “to make like a lattice,” derivative of cancellī “latticed barriers, gratings, grilles,” plural of cancellus; see cancellus

Explanation

To cancel means to call off or postpone indefinitely. Which is probably what you would do if the hotel you were planning to stay in has an infestation of bedbugs. Scrub, scratch, or strike down — those are all other ways of saying cancel. People often cancel plans, deciding not to do something they had already scheduled. In math, if the numerator and a denominator of a fraction have common factors you can cancel the factors out, which means delete them. To cancel a debt means to get rid of it. A cancel on a postage stamp is the mark that shows it has been used.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cancel cancels canceled canceling cancelled cancelling

The unprecedented move prompted at least 250,000 subscribers — roughly 10% of the Post’s digital subscriber base — to cancel.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

Both times it was attempted, the hand tally produced a significant undercount, prompting officials to cancel the pilot, Larson said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

Samsung’s peer, SK Hynix, unveiled its own program to boost shareholder returns earlier this week, including plans to buy and cancel more than $28 billion of shares.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The protests resulted in significant delays, with players speaking out against the actions and referees threatening to cancel matches.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

“I’m, um, still working out those arrangements, too. Like I said, this just came up. You know I’ll cancel the trip if I can’t be sure the three of you are all right.”

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Plus: Know your rights as a passenger — and what you’re entitled to if an airline cancels your flight for any reason.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

That is, if an airline cancels a flight or makes a significant change, travelers are entitled to a full refund if they choose not to fly.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2025

American Battery Technology shares drop sharply after the Department of Energy cancels a $115 million project that would have split the cost equally.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025

Classes often fill up, but there is a wait list that lets you slot in if someone cancels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2025

“That cancels an android into catalepsy,” Rachael said, her eyes shut.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

The meeting came days after Andrés Manuel López Beltrán, the son of the former president, said that the U.S. had canceled his visa.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

The supply chain risk designation, formally made in March, had canceled Anthropic's military contracts and barred other Pentagon contractors from using its technology.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

Parton had canceled a planned Las Vegas engagement in May 2026, revealing that she was being treated for kidney stones as well as other undisclosed digestive and immune ailments.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

"As of now, the Ye concert has not been canceled," it added in a follow-up message.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Classes were frequently canceled due to a shortage of teachers.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

Earlier in the war, the U.A.E. suspended direct cargo shipping with Iran and launched a broader crackdown on Iranian activity in the country, including canceling visas and shutting schools and clubs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

The school ended up canceling its season after too many players were declared ineligible.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

They claimed that wasn’t “the reason” for canceling, though they didn’t provide an alternative explanation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Finally, prioritize canceling cards with hefty annual fees; if you’re not using them, there’s no point in paying them.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

“It was awfully kind of you to rearrange your schedule to help me, Theo, when my aunt realized she couldn’t bring it herself, Theo, even though it would mean you canceling other plans.”

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

A few days later, she cancelled all shows "for the foreseeable future".

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

"Ultimately, it was cancelled by a phone call from Moscow," it added.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

West, whose concerts have been cancelled in several European countries, has not yet commented.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

His wife, Queen Sonja, and his son, Crown Prince Haakon, have cancelled all royal engagements and they have gathered at his bedside at Oslo University Hospital with other members of the royal family.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

If you are bitten by a Malaclaw, all bets, wagers and speculative ventures should be cancelled, as they are sure to go against the victim.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

Kristersson was due to hold a speech in Stockholm in the evening but told media he was cancelling it to focus on the incident.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Dolphin brought heavy rain to Japan's Okinawa island, cutting power to tens of thousands of buildings, toppling trees and cancelling flights.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

The German government announced in mid-June that it was cancelling the stalled multi-billion-euro F-126 programme, even though Rheinmetall was widely seen as the frontrunner to take over the project.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

But he added cancelling the attack would be "for the future benefit of the world and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran".

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

And, oh dear, what am I to do about cancelling my steamship passage?

From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie

Related Words

• abolish
• abort
• annul
• break off
• cut
• destroy
• eliminate
• kill
• remove
• repeal
• rescind
• revoke
• wipe out