The difference between Abolish and Cancel

When used as verbs, abolish means to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice, whereas cancel means to cross out something with lines etc.


Cancel is also noun with the meaning: a control message posted to usenet that serves to cancel a previously posted message.

check bellow for the other definitions of Abolish and Cancel

  1. Abolish as a verb:

    To end a law, system, institution, custom or practice.

    Examples:

    "Slavery was abolished in the nineteenth century."

  2. Abolish as a verb (archaic):

    To put an end to or destroy, as a physical object; to wipe out.

  1. Cancel as a verb (transitive):

    To cross out something with lines etc.

  2. Cancel as a verb (transitive):

    To invalidate or annul something.

    Examples:

    "He cancelled his order on their website."

  3. Cancel as a verb (transitive):

    To mark something (such as a used postage stamp) so that it can't be reused.

    Examples:

    "This machine cancels the letters that have a valid zip code."

  4. Cancel as a verb (transitive):

    To offset or equalize something.

    Examples:

    "The corrective feedback mechanism cancels out the noise."

  5. Cancel as a verb (transitive, mathematics):

    To remove a common factor from both the numerator and denominator of a fraction, or from both sides of an equation.

  6. Cancel as a verb (transitive, media):

    To stop production of a programme.

  7. Cancel as a verb (printing, dated):

    To suppress or omit; to strike out, as matter in type.

  8. Cancel as a verb (obsolete):

    To shut out, as with a railing or with latticework; to exclude.

  9. Cancel as a verb (slang):

    To kill.

  1. Cancel as a noun (Internet):

    A cancellation (US); (nonstandard in some kinds of English). A control message posted to Usenet that serves to cancel a previously posted message.

  2. Cancel as a noun (obsolete):

    An enclosure; a boundary; a limit.

  3. Cancel as a noun (printing):

    The suppression on striking out of matter in type, or of a printed page or pages.

  4. Cancel as a noun (printing):

    The page thus suppressed.

  5. Cancel as a noun (printing):

    The page that replaces it.