Meaning & use
canceled
Last updated
“canceled” is a form of “cancel”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitiveAmerican
Past tense and past participle of cancel: decided that a planned event or arrangement would not take place.
Grammar: Takes an object: they canceled the meeting.
Patterns
- canceled something because of something
The airline canceled the flight because of snow.
We canceled our trip when she got sick.
The concert was canceled at the last minute.
verbtransitiveAmerican
Ended an agreement, order or subscription so it no longer applies.
Grammar: Takes an object: she canceled her subscription.
Patterns
- canceled an order
- canceled a subscription
He canceled his gym membership in January.
The bank canceled the card after the theft.
I canceled my order before it was shipped.
adjectivebefore a nounAmerican
No longer going to take place, or no longer in force.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a canceled flight.
Patterns
- a canceled flight
Travelers waited in line for canceled flights.
The canceled game will be replayed next month.
Word forms
| base form | cancel |
|---|---|
| -ing form | canceling |
Common combinations
- canceled flight
- A canceled flight left hundreds stranded.
- canceled at the last minute
- The meeting was canceled at the last minute.
- canceled due to weather
- The parade was canceled due to weather.
- canceled subscription
- A canceled subscription stops at the end of the month.
- officially canceled
- The show was officially canceled this week.
Synonyms and how they differ
- called off
- Called off is more informal and is mainly used for events and plans.
- scrapped
- Scrapped suggests dropping a plan entirely, often one that took effort.
- postponed
- Postponed means delayed to a later date, while canceled means it will not happen.
- annulled
- Annulled is formal and usually applies to marriages or legal results.
Opposites
Word family
- cancel verb
- to stop something from happening
- cancellation noun
- the act of canceling
- cancelable adjective
- able to be canceled
- cancelled verb
- British spelling of canceled
Commonly confused: canceled or cancelled?
canceled vs cancelled
Cancelled is the British spelling of the same word, so it is not a different word.
Practice
The match was ______ because of heavy rain.
Choose one answer.
Canceled is the past participle that fits after was and means it will not happen. Cancel is the wrong form, and postponed or delayed would suggest a later date.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “canceled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.