Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "cancantar" shine inganci ko yanayin cancanta ko damar yin ko karɓar wani abu. Yana nufin cika sharuddan da ake buƙata ko buƙatun don takamaiman matsayi, dama, ko fa'ida. Misali, mutum zai iya yin zabe idan ya cika wasu sharudda kamar kasancewarsa dan wata kasa, cika wasu shekarun da ake bukata, da kuma yin rijistar zabe. Cancantar kuma na iya komawa ga cancantar mutum don wani aiki ko matsayi na musamman dangane da cancantarsa, ƙwarewarsa, da ƙwarewarsa.