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

It added that "as a sign of respect and mourning" the main sponsors of the event had agreed to cancel all activities for the remaining two stages.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

I called Chase to cancel an airline card with a $229 fee because I get most of the benefits elsewhere.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

"I don't think there is ever a need to cancel a transplant because of capacity issues," Ahmed said.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

I made an appointment at the salon just to cancel hours later.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

For a second, he worried she would cancel the whole deal and kick them out.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty

Inspectors also found the service frequently uses overtime and cancels officers rest days in order to meet operational demand.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

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

After the video’s release, ABC cancels Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 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

Trust is what Rania has in our mission when she cancels her dinner plans with her family once again to stay late to work.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

But even before that, projects to make zero and low-carbon hydrogen were being canceled across the country as they struggled to bring down costs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

A return United flight from Kona to LAX scheduled for Saturday night was also canceled.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

The resort canceled his stay, leading to a viral feud.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

People reported that Batiste’s shows in Pennsylvania and New York have also been canceled and ticket refunds will be available for the three canceled shows.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

But her flight had been canceled because of bad weather or something.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Hurricane Lala disrupted travel between Los Angeles and Hawaii on Saturday, canceling flights from LAX to destinations across the islands as the Category 1 storm approached the Big Island.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Sent the day before, it apologizes for canceling his stay due to scaled-back capacity during opening week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

But some restaurateurs grouse that the apps also make diners feel removed from a restaurant and more blase about canceling, and less likely to just walk in.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 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

Key elements of the invasion—moving ships into forward positions, for instance, and canceling leaves for soldiers—kept getting postponed.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

The San Francisco Standard found at least 39 Flock contracts have been cancelled in 2026 so far, and community activists across the country continue to push for jurisdictions to ditch more.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

Most of the flights were cancelled on Friday, with the company saying it wanted to help passengers find alternative routes.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

The Greater Anglia service from Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street came off the tracks in Wickford at 14:12 BST on Friday, leading to all trips being cancelled.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

A tribute to her was originally cancelled after the news of her death, but it was later reinstated after the organiser was contacted by attendees asking whether there will be a chance to remember her.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

All further visits to La Victoria were cancelled.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

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

The South African authorities ended up cancelling their arrest warrant for Ajay Gupta.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Then Egypt praised Infantino for cancelling his masterplan.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 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