cancel culture

noun

: the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling (see cancel entry 1 sense 1e) as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure

For those of you who aren't aware, cancel culture refers to the mass withdrawal of support from public figures or celebrities who have done things that aren't socially accepted today. This practice of "canceling" or mass shaming often occurs on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

—Demetria Slyt

At a Republican National Convention where speakers' rage about cancel culture has been clear, former Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann used his speaking slot to introduce himself as "the teenager who was defamed by the media."

—Hunter Woodall

Cancel culture is supported as a tool to stop offensive and harmful behavior, while others find it problematic and toxic.

—Elise Krumholz

cancel culture warriors

the cancel culture movement

also : the people who engage in or support this practice

I have to admit that I'm not opposed to the majority of legacies, groups of people, and trends being scrutinized by the cancel culture. In fact, the response to many of the ideologies and personalities that have been "cancelled" is, in most cases, long, long overdue. But I have a few concerns …

—Brad Peters

Examples of cancel culture in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In his view, cancel culture itself may have been a phenomenon of the Covid era. —Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024

The funny thing about the concept of cancel culture is that its popularization coincided with the demise of the mechanisms through which a person might truly be exiled from public life. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2024

Some rap fans see West as a roguish outlaw who beat cancel culture. —August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024

Arbitrary rules, doxing practices, and cancel culture have led to something hard to distinguish from censorship for the sober and well-meaning. —Jaron Lanier, WIRED, 13 Feb. 2024

And much of his one hour, five minute set centered on clapping back at how he’s perceived, dealing with cancel culture, and his views on sexuality and gender roles. —Stefan Stevenson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024

As for cancel culture, Melissa says her mom would have fought against it, especially for comics. —Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 21 Jan. 2024

Wonder Land: College Presidents' spineless response to antisemitic protests are the culmination of academia’s plummet the past 50 years which has included grade inflation, speech codes, trigger warnings and ultimately cancel culture. —Michael Toth, WSJ, 15 Jan. 2024

The Bill of Rights must be defended, differences tolerated, cancel culture rejected. —Washington Examiner, 21 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

2016, in the meaning defined above