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

Regretting using a middleman for a courier service, however opportunistic you believe the company to be, is not — on the face of it — a good enough reason to cancel the charge.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

The complaint also alleges that Hims & Hers makes it difficult to cancel subscriptions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

For electrons traveling in other directions, they cancel one another out.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

Typhoon Noul made landfall in southern China on Sunday morning, lashing the region with strong winds and heavy rain and forcing Hong Kong airport to cancel around 360 passenger flights.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The way he said it suggested that to cancel now would be a prudent thing to do.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

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

I ring Audrey about tomorrow and she cancels a date with the boyfriend.

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi canceled his planned trip to Saudi Arabia following the strikes, per a report by Shafaq, a news outlet headquartered in Baghdad, the country’s capital city.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

Some of the groups who had their grants canceled sued in an effort to get their funding.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

Organizers canceled the remainder of the Pride festivities and evening concert as emergency responders flooded the area and authorities secured the scene.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is being held Friday, after an attempted assassination of President Trump canceled the April event.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

First, they canceled school and sent everyone home.

From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers

People familiar with the matter said that LIV is on the verge of canceling its team championship, the final event on the schedule and a tournament once touted as LIV’s crown jewel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Consumers bypassing or canceling their cable subscriptions are cutting into the fees stations receive from pay TV providers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 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

A recent survey by an anti-monopoly and fair-trade advocacy group, said 44% of Netflix subscribers are considering canceling their subscription.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

The Food Network ended up canceling the show.

From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks

Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind and Live at the Apollo have been cancelled by the BBC, as the corporation makes further financial savings.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Following the furore surrounding Saltburn Cricket Club over an alleged cheating scandal, the club's second team's Wednesday evening match has been cancelled.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

A hearing on a preliminary injunction scheduled for next week—that would have barred Paramount from closing the merger while the states’ antitrust lawsuit proceeds—has been cancelled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Before Medicare was created, only 54% of elderly people had health insurance, and that could be cancelled without cause when they got sick, which, as you know, tends to happen when you get old.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 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

But, as the relationship progressed, Griffiths became more and more unreliable - often cancelling plans at the last minute.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 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

I wonder if they considered cancelling work for a few days while the heatwave grips Britain.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on X called Trump's words "grave and offensive" and said he was cancelling a visit to the US planned for June 21 and 22.

From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 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