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

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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

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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

Because the magnetic contributions oppose one another, they cancel out, leaving no overall magnetization.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

"We are seeing an increase in the volume of journeys we have to cancel where the demand exceeds our available resource," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

“That usually means you can’t cancel so you either have to be 100% you’re going or get trip insurance.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

At least some premium credit card users have told me that the changes have prompted them to cancel their cards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

“Please, Mr. Rodrigo, you have to cancel that auction.”

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio

In effect, the surrounding electrons form a cloud that "screens," or cancels out, the magnetism of the atom.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026

Oracle co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison cancels a plan to sell 50 million shares of company stock.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026

Evans also told the court that an article with the headline "Sick Elton cancels more tour dates" in November 2009 followed a statement on his website.

From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026

It’s just hard to love someone who cancels the cable right before the Walking Dead marathon.

From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander

The case against Harvard cancer researcher Kseniia Petrova began to fall apart in April, after a judge ruled a customs officer improperly canceled Petrova’s visa.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

It worked, and the city canceled the Eid celebration.

From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026

Cyberlux delivered around 20% of them before the Ukrainians decided they needed a more capable aircraft, and the contract was canceled, said Cyberlux CEO Mark Schmidt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Previously, any months spent in forbearance didn’t count toward the 120 needed for a borrower to have their debt canceled under the program.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

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

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Investors everywhere should understand why the idea of canceling debt keeps cropping up and what it would mean.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Initially refusing Medicare and applying later, or canceling and reapplying, triggers a late-enrollment penalty.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Popular use cases of Meta’s viral AI agent include processing refunds, canceling subscriptions and negotiating lower home- and car-insurance rates.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

In addition, the White House was warned that canceling TPS for Salvadorans would disrupt construction projects in Washington, D.C., the New Yorker reported and a source with knowledge of the warnings confirmed they had occurred.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

“He has not learned to be a responsible member of society. For this reason, I am canceling Wendell’s acceptance to attend your college in the fall semester.”

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

"It's tedious to get up early, wait, and then see your train cancelled, but it's understandable there's a strike," she said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026

A proposed trial of a hepatitis B vaccine on newborn babies in Guinea-Bissau has been cancelled following accusations that the trial was "unethical" and "neocolonial".

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

But as things stand between Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni Houthi separatists, that race could not go ahead, and is likely to be cancelled if nothing changes by December.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

While Bolsonaro's Brazilian passport and diplomatic passport had been cancelled, he also holds an Italian passport, which he used to board a private jet in Argentina, according to a flight document seen by AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

First, classes were cancelled, and the whole school was overrun by guards poking through all our bedrooms.

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

The ministry also said it would bring changes to the school calendar, including cancelling holidays, to make up for classes missed because of the strike.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

They did, however, have the option of cancelling Fernandez's move to Manchester City but opted not to do so out of a sense of "professionalism".

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Last September, Amazon paid $2.5 billion to settle allegations that it deceptively tricked consumers into Amazon Prime subscriptions and made cancelling them excessively difficult.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

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

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

From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie

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Related Words

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

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