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| Date: | 1300-1400 |
| Language: | French |
| Origin: | canceller 'to cross out', from Latin cancellare 'to make like a frame of crossed bars', from cancer 'frame of crossed bars', from carcer 'prison' |
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can‧cel S2
past tense and past participle cancelled, present participle cancelling British English, past tense and past participle canceled, present participle canceling American English
past tense and past participle cancelled, present participle cancelling British English, past tense and past participle canceled, present participle canceling American English1 [intransitive and transitive] to say that an event that was planned will not happen : 
Our flight was cancelled.I'm afraid I'll have to cancel our meeting tomorrow. You'll just have to ring John and cancel.
Our flight was cancelled.I'm afraid I'll have to cancel our meeting tomorrow.You'll just have to ring John and cancel.2 [intransitive and transitive] to end an agreement or arrangement that you have with someone : I phoned the hotel to cancel my reservation. The bank agreed to cancel all the company's debts.
I phoned the hotel to cancel my reservation.The bank agreed to cancel all the company's debts.3 [transitive] to say officially that a document can no longer be used or no longer has any legal effect : I phoned the bank to cancel the cheque.
I phoned the bank to cancel the cheque.cancel something ↔ out
phrasal verbThe losses in our overseas division have cancelled out the profits made in the home market.