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

VIX would have to close above 19 for two consecutive days to cancel out this buy signal.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

South Korea's professional baseball league was also forced to cancel one game in Changwon after the city's temperature climbed to 39.5 degrees Celsius during the day, marking the second consecutive game cancellation in the city.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

He said it was with deep regret that the band had to cancel their slot, which they hardly ever resorted to.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

With the kind of sparkling wit that prompts readers to cancel their subscriptions, a U.K. film critic dubbed the Iceland-based “Time and Water” documentary “glacial.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

“And my boat sails the day after tomorrow. How am I going to catch it now? Why, I can’t even wire to cancel my passage. I feel too mad to talk about it.”

From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie

The Pentagon cancels a brigade deployment to NATO’s eastern front.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 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

“This letter cancels the Stop Work Order issued Feb 18, 2025,” said a memo to Acacia Center for Justice, which is contracted to administer the nationwide program.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 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

This is how Hong found herself last night on CNN, where Kaitlan Collins once again asked her if she thought Thanksgiving should be canceled.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

But limbo is better than canceled, which is more likely to happen if the proposed merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

Hachette Book Group canceled the publication of the horror novel “Shy Girl” earlier this year after learning of concerns about its potential reliance on AI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Because I used a debit card for the transaction, I have since canceled it, and my credit is now frozen across all three bureaus.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

Cancel the world, like you canceled my voice in front of the whole retreat community.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

And then a representative for Grande announced she’d be taking a break from the public eye, finishing her tour, but canceling her much-anticipated London performance in “Sunday In The Park With George.”

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

These actions included things like changing the title on bank accounts and other property, redirecting household bills, canceling credit cards, consolidating retirement accounts, making Roth conversions and giving away money.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

The company isn’t canceling sales immediately, but expects them to continue through early 2027 as inventory winds down.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

“That was in response to Dr. Cooper canceling the Robotics and Engineering Club and then using the money to create a school pageant,” she said, shaking her head.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Alexander posted on X, external she was "sorry to hear passengers in the North West are affected by a power outage, with trains cancelled or delayed".

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

South Korea's professional baseball league cancelled all games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday amid a record-setting heatwave that has sent spectators to hospital.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

If the situation does not improve by the time F1 has to make a decision, which F1 president Stefano Domenicali says is mid-September, then the races will have to be cancelled.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Conred urged people to keep their windows and doors closed and lessons have been cancelled in schools close to the volcano.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

I’ve cancelled yet another mother-daughter night, so my mom stops by my room.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

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

Virgin Media has just been fined £28m by regulator Ofcom for repeatedly preventing customers from cancelling contracts.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Major indexes were mixed in afternoon trading, with weakness in tech stocks cancelling out big gains in sectors like financials and consumer discretionary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

Instead of a roiled mess of waves cancelling each other out, you would have a pond of perfectly ordered waves, with high points and low points appearing regularly at the same spots again and again.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

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