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

"It was really unbelievable. Had I had another booking the same day, I would have had to cancel or delay check-in," says Clewes.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 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

Perhaps if he takes his own unorthodox approach, the two will cancel each other out, leaving something substantial behind.

From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026

In April, Meta also said it would cancel plans to hire an additional 6,000 people and also shift 7,000 other employees into AI workflow-related roles.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

Did they cancel each other out, or would butcher always trump hero?

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

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

He annually cancels or cuts short mandatory minicamps at the end of offseason workouts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026

After Granddad leaves the next day, Mummy calls Dad and cancels the Australia trip.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

It worked, and the city canceled the Eid celebration.

From Slate ● Nov. 2, 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

The White House confirmed Thursday that two campaign stops planned for Kansas and Iowa this weekend have been canceled.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

Kalshi said its markets offer unique data distinct from polling, that probabilities do not guarantee outcomes and that efforts to manipulate odds are canceled out by other buyers.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

Such was the vehemence with which he made the threat that the president of the republic canceled his trip at the last moment and sent the decoration with a personal representative.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Singh said canceling the commercial driver licenses reduced the pool of immigrant drivers, forcing him to pay more to attract American drivers — an increase from $0.45 to $0.80 per mile for a driver.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

I asked Dots for help canceling a handful of subscriptions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Dots are OpenAI’s answer to the current craze around AI agents designed to make users’ lives easier by handling tasks like scheduling trips or canceling subscriptions.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

“That’s not the point. You should show respect for the family by canceling practice on the morning of the funeral.”

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor

Major Chinese brands cancelled sponsorship deals with Mbappe after his comments.

From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026

When he failed to surrender his passports in time to meet a 24-hour deadline, Brazilian authorities cancelled the documents and ordered police to make checks at border posts.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

He enters the United States with his cancelled diplomatic passport, according to the Department of Homeland Security website that tracks border controls.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

At the weekend, the storm saw gusts of wind reach almost 80mph in some areas and led to flights and ferries being cancelled.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

A Hindu upbringing and a Baptist education had precisely cancelled each other out as far as religion was concerned and had left her serenely impious.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Muse, Instinct and agents like them promise to make your life easier by planning vacations, sorting calendars and cancelling subscription plans.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026

In a pulsating opening 25 minutes, England were twice required to come from behind, with tries from Claudia Moloney-MacDonald and Hannah Botterman cancelling out scores by Lizzie Gibson and DaLeaka Menin for Canada.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

Saudi Arabia issued attack alerts Tuesday for Mecca -- the holy city's first of the Middle East war -- and Jeddah and Taif governorates, before quickly cancelling them.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

Their reasons for cancelling may include cost and concerns about data privacy.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 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

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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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