1can;cel pronunciation: function: verb inflected form(s): can;celed or can;celled; can;cel;ing or can;cel;ling etymology: middle english cancellen, from anglo-french canceller, chanceller, from late latin cancellare, from latin, to make like a lattice, from cancelli (plural), diminutive of cancer lattice, probably alteration of carcer prisondate: 14th centurytransitive verb 1 a : to destroy the force, effectiveness, or validity of : annul lt;cancel a magazine subscriptiongt; lt;a canceled checkgt; b : to bring to nothingness : destroy c : to match in force or effect : offset —often used with out lt;his irritability canceled out his natural kindness — osbert sitwellgt; d : to call off usually without expectation of conducting or performing at a later time lt;cancel a football gamegt;2 a : to mark or strike out for deletion b : omit, delete3 a : to remove (a common divisor) from numerator and denominator b : to remove (equivalents) on opposite sides of an equation or account4 : to deface (a postage or revenue stamp) especially with a set of ink lines so as to invalidate for reuseintransitive verb : to neutralize each other's strength or effect : counterbalance— can;cel;able or can;cel;la;ble adjective — can;cel;er or can;cel;ler noun