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Cancel Very Common

Cancel has 9 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Verb · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

a notation cancelling a previous sharp or flat

"The conductor raised his baton to add a cancellation mark above the note, indicating that the previous accidental should no longer apply."

2

A cancellation (US); (nonstandard in some kinds of English).

"The party was canceled because most of the guests got sick."

In plain English: A cancel is an official order to stop something from happening or going ahead.

"The cancellation of the flight caused several passengers to miss their connections."

Usage: Cancel is primarily a verb meaning to stop or prevent an event from happening, but it can function as a noun in American English to refer to the act of cancelling itself. However, using "cancel" as a standalone noun is nonstandard in many varieties of English and often sounds awkward compared to alternatives like "cancellation."

Verb
1

postpone indefinitely or annul something that was scheduled

"Call off the engagement"

"cancel the dinner party"

"we had to scrub our vacation plans"

"scratch that meeting--the chair is ill"

2

make up for

"His skills offset his opponent's superior strength"

3

declare null and void; make ineffective

"Cancel the election results"

"strike down a law"

4

remove or make invisible

"Please delete my name from your list"

5

make invalid for use

"cancel cheques or tickets"

6

To cross out something with lines etc.

"She used a red pen to cancel the old dates on her calendar before writing in the new ones."

In plain English: To cancel something means to stop it from happening or to call off an event.

"I had to cancel my appointment because I came down with the flu."

Usage: In modern everyday usage, to cancel means to call off or prevent an event, appointment, or plan from happening. While it can literally mean to cross something out on paper, the term is most frequently used for terminating scheduled activities or services.

Proper Noun
1

A surname​.

"The family decided to rename their business after Mr. Cancel, whose ancestors were famous for their local pottery."

Example Sentences
"The cancellation of the flight caused several passengers to miss their connections." noun
"The concert cancellation left fans frustrated after months of anticipation." noun
"He waited all day for his order cancellation confirmation from the store." noun
"The sudden plan cancellation forced us to reschedule our weekend trip." noun
"I had to cancel my appointment because I came down with the flu." verb
See Also
cancellation nonstandard disinvite message chancel defund scrub disannul
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
musical notation balance declare remove score
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
counteract revoke remit write off invalidate recall erase strike

Origin

The word "cancel" comes from the Middle English cancellen, which was borrowed from Anglo-Norman to mean crossing something out with lines. This usage evolved from Latin, where it originally described making a surface resemble a lattice or railing.

Rhyming Words
cel excel accel incel sicel lancel pencel volcel auncel carcel marcel parcel sarcel precel tercel piercel lioncel tiercel stancel spancel
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