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REFERENCE

cancel

v. · n.
US //ˈkænsəɫ// UK //kˈænsəl// can·cel
  1. 1 to stop a planned event (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to decide that something you planned, like a meeting or a trip, will not happen.

    to decide or announce that a planned event will not take place. Transitive; requires a direct object.

    Example

    The school had to cancel the football match because of the heavy rain.

    Example

    The airline was forced to cancel several international flights after a technical fault grounded the entire fleet for safety inspections.
  2. 2 to end a service or contract (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to stop a service you pay for, like a gym membership or a phone plan.

    to invalidate or annul a legal agreement, subscription, or service. Often implies a formal notification to the provider.

    Example

    I want to cancel my magazine subscription because I don't have time to read it.

    Example

    The client decided to cancel the contract after the agency failed to meet the agreed-upon performance targets for three consecutive months.
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  1. 3 social rejection (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Slang

    to stop supporting a famous person because they said or did something offensive.

    to withdraw support for a public figure or company as a form of social protest, typically on social media.

    Example

    The actor was cancelled by many fans after his offensive comments went viral.

    Example

    The brand faced a massive backlash and was effectively cancelled by its core demographic following the controversial marketing campaign.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is often used in the context of 'cancel culture'; it can be highly polarizing and is mostly used in informal or online discussions.
  2. 4 to balance out (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to have an opposite effect so that the result is zero or neutral.

    to offset or neutralize the effect of something else. Often used with the particle 'out'.

    Example

    The extra money I earned was cancelled out by the high cost of the repairs.

    Example

    The gains made by the marketing department were unfortunately cancelled out by the rising costs of raw materials during the same quarter.
  3. 5 mathematics (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Math

    to remove the same numbers from both sides of an equation or a fraction.

    to remove a common factor from both the numerator and denominator of a fraction, or from both sides of an equation.

    Example

    You can cancel the zeros to make the fraction easier to read.

    Example

    The student failed to cancel the common variables in the numerator, leading to an unnecessarily complex final expression.
  4. 6 to mark a stamp (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical

    to put a mark on a postage stamp so it cannot be used again.

    to mark a postage stamp or ticket with a physical or digital seal to prevent reuse.

    Example

    The post office uses a machine to cancel the stamps on every letter.

    Example

    Collectors often value stamps that have been cancelled with rare or historically significant postmarks from small rural offices.
  5. 7 a replacement page (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Printing

    a new page printed to replace a page with a mistake in a book.

    a new leaf or page printed to take the place of one containing an error, which is then removed before binding.

    Example

    The publisher sent a cancel to be inserted into the first edition of the book.

    Example

    Bibliographers carefully examine cancels to determine the original text that the author or publisher intended to suppress.
Origin

From Middle English cancellen, from Anglo-Norman canceler (“to cross out with lines”) (modern French chanceler (“to stagger, sway”)), from Old French canceler, from Latin cancellō (“to make resemble a lattice”), from cancellus (“a railing or lattice”), diminutive of cancer (“a lattice”).

Idioms1 entry

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