What does cancelled mean?
Cancelled is the past tense and past participle of cancel, meaning to have called off, withdrawn, or invalidated something previously arranged, promised, or valid. It appears constantly in everyday life: flights, trains, meetings, subscriptions, orders, and appointments are all routinely described as cancelled when they will no longer take place or apply. The word also functions as an adjective, describing items that have been officially rendered void — such as a cancelled cheque bearing a mark that prevents its reuse, or a cancelled postage stamp. Spelling varies by region: British English favours the double-L form 'cancelled', while American English typically uses 'canceled'. The word derives ultimately from the Latin cancellare, 'to make like a lattice', reflecting the old practice of striking lines through written text. In modern usage, beyond logistics, the term has acquired a broader cultural weight through discussions of public figures who have been 'cancelled' — publicly shamed or boycotted — giving this ordinary administrative word an unexpectedly prominent place in contemporary conversation.
Past tense and past participle of cancel: to have called off, annulled, or revoked something planned, arranged, or valid.
"The airline cancelled all flights out of Heathrow because of heavy fog."
In British English spelled 'cancelled'; in American English usually 'canceled'. Used passively ('was cancelled') far more often than actively.
Marked invalid, void, or no longer usable, especially of documents such as cheques or stamps that have been officially defaced or struck through.
"A cancelled cheque is often requested as proof of an active bank account."
Common in banking and philately contexts.
Whether you write it with one L or two, both spellings trace back to the same Roman image of a lattice — because crossing something out once meant drawing bars through it like a grid.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cancelled
Cancelled comes from the Latin verb cancellare, 'to make like a lattice', itself derived from cancelli, the latticed screens or gratings used in Roman architecture and law courts. To 'cancel' originally meant to cross out text by drawing intersecting lines over it, like a lattice — hence the connection to words such as chancel (the screened area around an altar) and chancellor. The word entered English via French in the late Middle Ages, and by the early modern period 'cancelled' was established as its past form, with the double-L spelling becoming conventional in British English while American usage simplified it to a single L.
Related word forms
How cancelled is actually used
'Cancelled' (double L) is standard in British, Australian, Canadian, and Indian English; American English generally prefers 'canceled' (single L), following the rule that unstressed syllables don't double consonants. The word carries neutral-to-negative connotations in everyday use — a cancelled plan or event usually implies disappointment or disruption — though 'cancelled' applied to public figures has taken on a charged cultural meaning in recent years through the phenomenon known as 'cancel culture'.
Easily confused with cancelled
'Canceled' with one L is the standard American spelling of the same word, while 'cancelled' with two Ls is preferred in British English and most other varieties.