Added 9 October 2026
cancel
/ˈkæn.sl̩/ noun
In Latin: rescindō Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about cancel at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
verb
-
Postpone indefinitely or annul something that was scheduled.
Call off the engagement
-
Make up for.
His skills offset his opponent's superior strength
-
Declare null and void; make ineffective.
Cancel the election results
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”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)