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

“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

The Vatican said Friday that Leo would cancel a planned trip to Assisi on October 27th, on the recommendation of his doctors.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

With the airport shuttered, Saudi Arabia has been forced to cancel or postpone high-profile events, including a star-studded tennis tournament.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

You do not just cancel on someone at the last minute.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

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

Duthie says if your airline cancels your flight due to wildfires then "they should offer you the chance to rebook, or provide a full refund".

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

It’s like every movement she makes with her paddle cancels mine.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

A police source told AFP that Flavio Bolsonaro's Brazilian and diplomatic passports had been canceled, but the senator has held Italian nationality since 2023, according to Italian documents seen by AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

A police source told AFP that Bolsonaro's Brazilian and diplomatic passports had been canceled, but the senator has held Italian nationality since 2023, according to an Italian parliamentary document seen by AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

SK Hynix, a South Korean memory-chip maker, canceled its plans for a U.S. public offering, which was expected to fund its manufacturing expansion plans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Student organizers of a Columbia free-speech alliance canceled a press-freedom event that was set to include the Sundial’s editor in chief—a move that has sparked its own backlash.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

He canceled it, and then called off another.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

On the surface, there were no signs that you were incompatible: no unkind remarks, no competitiveness, no constant canceling or being constantly late.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 25, 2026

Earlier this month, Australian data-center operator Firmus Grid cited market volatility in canceling a planned IPO of almost $5 billion that would have been the country’s largest in nearly 30 years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 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

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

Frowning, she walked over, hoping Rishi wasn’t canceling.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Brazil cancelled his passport, after he failed to surrender it to authorities, due to an ongoing criminal investigation.

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

Sánchez and other Spanish politicians cancelled all public engagements on Wednesday, including campaigning for next month's parliamentary elections.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

Dozens of flights due to land at the airport were also cancelled.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

He went over and cancelled his room order and crossed the hall to the restaurant.

From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie

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

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

She said cancelling surgeries was "absolutely the right thing to do".

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 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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