# cancellation

/ˌkænsəˈɫeɪʃən/ (US) · /kˌænsɪlˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cancellation
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. stopping a planned event

noun · CEFR B1

the act of stopping something that was already arranged or scheduled.

For teachers: the act of rescinding or voiding a scheduled event, booking, or arrangement.

- The sudden cancellation of the flight left hundreds of passengers waiting at the airport.
- The last-minute cancellation of the keynote speaker forced the organisers to restructure the entire afternoon session of the conference.

Usage: Often used with 'of' followed by the event being cancelled.

### 2. ending a contract or service

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

the act of ending a legal agreement or a subscription.

For teachers: the formal termination of a contract, policy, or legal agreement.

- You must give thirty days' notice for the cancellation of your gym membership.
- The legal team advised that the cancellation of the contract was justified due to a significant breach of the confidentiality clause.

Usage: Commonly appears in 'cancellation policy' or 'cancellation fee'.

### 3. mathematical removal

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the act of removing the same numbers from both sides of an equation.

For teachers: the operation of striking out common factors from the numerator and denominator of a fraction or from both sides of an equation.

- The teacher explained how cancellation makes solving the fraction much faster.
- Through the cancellation of common variables on both sides of the equation, the complex formula was reduced to a basic linear form.

### 4. postmark on a stamp

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

For teachers: a mark or perforation placed on a postage stamp to deface it and prevent its subsequent reuse.

- The collector noticed that the cancellation on the old stamp was from a small town in 1920.
- Philatelists often value a rare cancellation more highly than the stamp itself, especially if the mark indicates a specific historical postal route.

## Examples

- The sudden cancellation of the flight left us stuck at the airport.
- I managed to get a doctor's appointment today only because there was a last-minute cancellation.
- The contract includes a strict cancellation clause that requires the client to pay fifty percent of the total fee if they withdraw within a week of the event.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.