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