Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense cancels, present participle cancelling, past tense, past participle cancelledregional note: in AM, use canceling, canceled
1. verb
If you cancel something that has been arranged, you stop it from happening. If you cancel an order for goods or services, you tell the person or organization supplying them that you no longer wish to receive them.
She cancelled her visit to Japan. [VERB noun]
Many trains have been cancelled and a limited service is operating on other lines. [beVERB-ed]
I called to arrange a delivery date and was told the order had been cancelled. [VERB noun]
There is normally no refund should a client choose to cancel. [VERB]
The cancellation of the Royal Film Performance is indeed a real shame. [+ of]
...passengers who suffer delays and cancellations on planes, trains, ferries andbuses. [+ on]
Synonyms: abandonment, abandoning More Synonyms of cancel
2. verb
If someone in authority cancels a document, an insurance policy, or a debt, they officially declare that it is no longer valid or no longer legally exists.
He intends to try to leave the country, in spite of a government order cancellinghis passport. [VERB noun]
She learned her insurance had been canceled by Pacific Mutual Insurance Company. [beVERB-ed + by]
Under the agreement, Britain will cancel hundreds of millions of pounds in debtsowed to it by some of world's poorest countries. [VERB noun]
cancellationuncountable noun
...a march by groups calling for cancellation of Third World debt. [+ of]
Synonyms: abandonment, abandoning More Synonyms of cancel
Synonyms: annulment, abolition, repeal, elimination More Synonyms of cancel
3. verb
To cancel a stamp or a cheque means to mark it to show that it has already been used and cannot be used again.
The new device can also cancel the check after the transaction is complete. [VERB noun]
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 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. (also intr; usually foll byout)
to counterbalance; make up for (a deficiency, etc)
his generosity cancelled out his past unkindness
6.
a.
to close (an account) by discharging any outstanding debts
b. (sometimes foll by out) accounting
to eliminate (a debit or credit) by making an offsetting entry on the opposite side of the account
7. mathematics
a.
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
b. (intransitive)
to be able to be eliminated in this way
8. slang
to publicly cease to acknowledge (a person, organization, etc), esp on social media, in order to express disapproval of their activities or opinions
noun
9.
a new leaf or section of a book replacing a defective one, one containing errors, or one that has been omitted
10. a less common word for cancellation
11. music a US word for natural (sense 20)
Derived forms
canceller (ˈcanceller) or US canceler (ˈcanceler)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French canceller, from Medieval Latin cancellāre, from Late Latin: to strike out, make like a lattice, from Latin cancellī lattice, grating
cancel in American English
(ˈkænsəl)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈcanceled or ˈcancelled, ˈcanceling or ˈcancelling
1.
a.
to cross out with lines or other marks, as in deleting written matter or marking a check as used and cleared
b.
to print or stamp marks on (a postage stamp) as by machine or handstamp, to prevent reuse
2.
to make invalid; annul
3.
to do away with; wipe out; abolish, withdraw, etc.
to cancel an order or a ticket reservation
4.
to neutralize or balance in force or influence; offset
often with out
5. Ancient Mathematics
to remove (a common factor from both terms of a fraction, equivalents of opposite sign or on opposite sides of an equation, etc.)
6. Printing
to delete or omit
verb intransitive
7.
to offset or cancel each other
with out
noun
8.
the deletion or omission of matter in type or in print
9.
a.
the matter omitted or deleted
b.
the replacement for this
10. Informal
cancellation (sense 3)
Derived forms
cancelable (ˈcancelable)
adjective
canceler (ˈcanceler)
noun or ˈcanceller
Word origin
ME cancellen < Anglo-Fr canceler < LL cancellare, to strike out, cancel < L, to make resemble a lattice < cancelli, pl. of cancellus, lattice, grating, dim. of cancer, crossed bars, lattice, dissimilated < carcer, prison
Examples of 'cancel' in a sentence
cancel
Similar technology is already used to cancel out engine noise.
The Sun (2016)
Remember that cancelling a direct debt just cancels the payment.
The Sun (2016)
So be sure before cancelling your pet insurance.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In a large group of people, ignorance in one direction cancels out ignorance in another.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She cancelled a show in August due to illness then complained of a mosquito allergy.
The Sun (2016)
Americans are already cancelling winter trips to Florida over zika fears.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The trip has been cancelled.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Can I legally cancel booked annual leave?
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The plan was cancelled when the Cold War ended.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We've had to cancel the trip and can't afford to lose this money.
The Sun (2016)
The most common reason for cancelling insurance was to cut spending.
The Sun (2012)
Two of those six have already been cancelled.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
That the show was cancelled is still clearly a source of anguish.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It received terrible ratings and was cancelled after just one series.
The Sun (2015)
They would therefore cancel any plans to add to their already excessively large capital stock.
Hunt, E. K. Property and Prophets: The Evolution of Economic Institutions and Ideologies (1995)
The staff took more than an hour to work out how to cancel the debt.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The warrant was withdrawn when she cancelled her trip.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The couple decided to cancel life insurance when they retired.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
School coach parties have already cancelled visits.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
He seems convinced that one cancels out the other.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
But a number of ministers are thought to have cancelled plans so they could attend.
The Sun (2016)
Some people may conclude that this is as good as saying that the debt has been cancelled.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Residential property deals are already being cancelled.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Does the one effect entirely cancel out the other?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The great thing about knowing when your favourite show is cancelled is having the time to make your farewells properly.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Had to cancel book signing today.
The Sun (2012)
Victims of the blunders usually have their buildings and contents insurance cancelled and often struggle to renew cover at a reasonable price.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The firm wants up to 7million in compensation for lost profits on the cancelled shows.
The Sun (2015)
A really rotten book tends to cancel out the less rotten ones that went before.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
I quickly cancelled the trip and sped there.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
cancel
British English: cancel /ˈkænsl/ VERB
If you cancel an order or an arrangement, you stop it from happening.
We cancelled the trip.
If you cancel, a fee may be charged.
American English: cancel
Arabic: يُلْغِي
Brazilian Portuguese: cancelar
Chinese: 取消
Croatian: otkazati
Czech: zrušit
Danish: aflyse
Dutch: annuleren
European Spanish: cancelar
Finnish: peruuttaa
French: annuler
German: absagen
Greek: ακυρώνω
Italian: annullare
Japanese: 取り消す
Korean: ...을 취소하다
Norwegian: avbryte
Polish: odwołać
European Portuguese: cancelar
Romanian: a anula
Russian: отменять
Latin American Spanish: cancelar
Swedish: avboka
Thai: ยกเลิก
Turkish: iptal etmek
Ukrainian: скасовувати
Vietnamese: hủy bỏ
All related terms of 'cancel'
cancel out
If one thing cancels out another thing, the two things have opposite effects , so that when they are combined no real effect is produced.
cancel culture
a social climate in which a person, organization, etc is likely to be ostracized in response to a perceived wrongdoing
cancel a trip
A trip is a journey that you make to a particular place.
cancel a meeting
A meeting is an event in which a group of people come together to discuss things or make decisions .
cancel a policy
If you cancel a policy , you terminate a contract of insurance .
cancel appointments
If you have an appointment with someone, you have arranged to see them at a particular time, usually in connection with their work or for a serious purpose.
cancel an appointment
If you have an appointment with someone, you have arranged to see them at a particular time, usually in connection with their work or for a serious purpose.
cancel a reservation
If you cancel a reservation , you stop it because someone who has booked a room has informed you that they no longer wish to stay there.
Chinese translation of 'cancel'
cancel
(ˈkænsəl)
vt
[meeting, visit, reservation, flight]取消 (qǔxiāo)
[contract, order]撤销(銷) (chèxiāo)
[document]废(廢)除 (fèichú)
[debt]注(註)销(銷) (zhùxiāo)
[cheque, stamp etc]盖(蓋)销(銷) (gàixiāo)
1 (verb)
Definition
to stop (something that has been arranged) from taking place
The foreign minister has cancelled his visit to Washington.
Synonyms
call off
drop
abandon
scrap
We should scrap nuclear and chemical weapons.
scratch
put off
forget about
abort
The take-off was aborted.
put on ice
countermand
2 (verb)
Her insurance had been cancelled by the company.
Synonyms
annul
The marriage was annulled last month.
abolish
They voted to abolish the death penalty.
repeal
The government has just repealed that law.
abort
quash
The Appeal Court has quashed the convictions.
do away with
revoke
The government revoked his licence.
repudiate
They had repudiated her contract.
rescind
You will rescind that order immediately.
obviate
abrogate
The next prime minister could abrogate the treaty.
countermand
I can't countermand her orders.
eliminate
The Act has not eliminated discrimination in employment.
3 (verb)
Definition
to mark (a cheque or stamp) with an official stamp to prevent further use
Synonyms
erase
They are desperate to erase the memory of their defeat.
delete
He deleted files from the computer system.
obliterate
I would like to obliterate the memory of what just occurred.
efface
an attempt to efface the memory of their previous failures
blot out
cross out
expunge (formal)
The experience was something he had tried to expunge from his memory.
phrasal verb
See cancel something out
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abolish
Definition
to do away with (laws, regulations, or customs)
They voted to abolish the death penalty.
Synonyms
do away with,
end,
destroy,
eliminate,
shed,
cancel,
axe (informal),
get rid of,
ditch (slang),
dissolve,
junk (informal),
suppress,
overturn,
throw out,
discard,
wipe out,
overthrow,
void,
terminate,
drop,
trash (slang),
repeal,
eradicate,
put an end to,
quash,
extinguish,
dispense with,
revoke,
stamp out,
obliterate,
subvert,
jettison,
repudiate,
annihilate,
rescind,
exterminate,
invalidate,
bring to an end,
annul,
nullify,
blot out,
expunge (formal),
abrogate (archaic),
vitiate (archaic),
extirpate (archaic),
kennet (Australian, slang),
jeff (Australian, slang)
in the sense of abort
Definition
to end a plan or process before completion
The take-off was aborted.
Synonyms
stop,
end,
finish,
check,
arrest,
halt,
cease,
bring or come to a halt or a standstill,
axe (informal),
pull up,
terminate,
call off,
break off,
cut short,
pack in (British, informal),
discontinue,
desist
in the sense of abrogate
Definition
to cancel (a law or an agreement) formally
The next prime minister could abrogate the treaty.