cancel culture

[ kan-suhl kuhl-cher ]

noun

1. the phenomenon or practice of publicly rejecting, boycotting, or ending support for particular people or groups because of their socially or morally unacceptable views or actions:

   Cancel culture can ruin careers, but it can also make a public figure think twice before posting controversial comments.

2. the shared attitudes and values within a particular segment of society that lead to such public rejection of particular people or groups:

   In a cancel culture, we appoint ourselves the arbiters of right and wrong.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cancel culture¹

First recorded in 2015–20

Example Sentences

"That review identified evidence of a concerning practice of social ostracism among students, often referred to as a cancel culture," the coroner said.

From BBC

You describe cancel culture as a moral panic, similar to the Satanic panic of the 1980s.

From Salon

Or to get mad about "cancel culture" or make-believe slights from liberals.

From Salon

It was the year that saw the genesis of internet cancel culture, in which social media became the arbiter of often contested "justice" for a swath of influencers, celebrities, politicians, and the like.

From Salon

“Will & Harper” actively seeks to neutralize the cries of “cancel culture” from cable news anchors and stand-up comics by taking no topic of conversation off the table.

From Los Angeles Times