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Meaning & use

non-cancellable

adjective·Academicformallegal

Last updated

UK/ˌnɒn ˈkæn.səl.ə.bəl/
US/ˌnɑːn ˈkæn.səl.ə.bəl/

Meaning

  1. adjectivecomparablelegal

    Impossible to end, call off or withdraw from once agreed, usually because the contract says so.

    Grammar: Usually describes a contract, booking or fee: the ticket is non-cancellable.

    Patterns

    • a non-cancellable contract
    • be non-cancellable

    The hotel rate was cheaper because the booking is non-cancellable.

    A non-cancellable lease commits the tenant for five years.

    These airline tickets are non-cancellable and non-refundable.

Common combinations

non-cancellable contract
He signed a non-cancellable contract for the equipment.
non-cancellable lease
The non-cancellable lease runs for three years.
non-cancellable booking
A non-cancellable booking offers a lower price.
non-cancellable ticket
A non-cancellable ticket cannot be changed.
strictly non-cancellable
The offer is strictly non-cancellable.

Synonyms and how they differ

irrevocable
Irrevocable is more formal and legal, and often applies to decisions or orders that cannot be reversed.
binding
Binding means legally obliged to follow, though it does not specifically say the agreement cannot be cancelled.
non-refundable
Non-refundable concerns whether money comes back; non-cancellable concerns whether you can end the agreement.

Opposites

cancellableflexible

Word family

cancel verb
to end or call off
cancellation noun
the act of ending something
cancellable adjective
able to be ended
uncancelled adjective
not yet called off

Commonly confused: non-cancellable or non-refundable?

non-cancellable vs non-refundable

A non-refundable booking may be cancellable but you lose the money; a non-cancellable one cannot be ended at all.

Practice

The gym membership is ___, so you must pay for the full year even if you stop going.

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