What does canceled mean?
Canceled is the American spelling of the past tense and past participle of the verb 'cancel', referring to something that has been called off, revoked, or invalidated. It applies most often to scheduled events — flights, meetings, concerts, games — that will no longer take place, but also to debts, contracts, subscriptions, and orders that have been formally withdrawn or annulled. As an adjective it describes the resulting state: a canceled flight is one that will not operate as planned. In recent years the word has gained a striking cultural resonance through the phenomenon of 'canceling', in which public figures lose standing after widespread criticism, giving this ordinary administrative word an unexpected edge in contemporary discourse. Writers should remember that spelling varies by region: American English uses a single 'l' (canceled), while British and most Commonwealth English doubles it (cancelled), though the noun 'cancellation' takes double L nearly everywhere.
Past tense and past participle of 'cancel': to have decided that a planned event will not happen, or to have revoked or annulled something such as a debt, order, or agreement.
"They canceled the picnic when rain was forecast."
American spelling; British English writes 'cancelled'.
Describing something that has been called off or rendered invalid, as in 'a canceled flight' or 'a canceled stamp'.
"Passengers lined up at the gate to rebook their canceled flights."
Whether you write one 'l' or two depends entirely on which side of the Atlantic you're on — Americans halved it in the 19th century and never looked back.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of canceled
The word traces back through Middle French 'canceller' to Latin 'cancellare', meaning 'to make like a lattice', from 'cancelli', the lattice screens or gratings that surrounded Roman judges' benches. Crossing out writing came to resemble drawing lattice lines through it, which is how the sense of striking out or voiding text developed. The same Latin root gave English 'chancellor' — originally the keeper of such a screen at court — and underlies 'incarcerate', from the idea of enclosing behind bars. The single-L American spelling arose from nineteenth-century American orthographic simplification.
Related word forms
How canceled is actually used
The single-L spelling 'canceled' is standard in American English; British, Australian, and Canadian English generally prefer 'cancelled' (though Canadian usage varies). In informal modern usage, especially online, the related term 'canceled' has taken on cultural connotations through the phrase 'canceled' applied to public figures who face widespread public backlash or boycott. The spelling difference extends to derived forms: American English uses 'canceling' and 'cancelation', while British English uses 'cancelling' and 'cancellation' — note that 'cancellation' with double L is actually standard in both varieties.
Easily confused with canceled
'Canceled' with one L is the standard American spelling, while 'cancelled' with two Ls is the standard British spelling — the meanings are identical.