Cancel / Canceled definition: what "Cancel / Canceled" means and examples

February 12, 2026

The collective withdrawal of support for a person or entity due to objectionable behaviour.

Cancel culture is the practice of no longer supporting a celebrity, influencer, or even a peer after they have done something deemed offensive or harmful. To be "canceled" means to be socially ostracised or boycotted. While it often applies to famous figures, it can trickle down into school environments where a student is "canceled" by their year group for a specific mistake. It is a powerful, if sometimes controversial, tool for social accountability, reflecting the high value this generation places on ethics and social justice.

Examples:

  1. "That influencer got canceled after those old videos of him being rude surfaced online."
  2. "Is that brand still canceled, or have people started buying from them again?"
  3. "I think we should cancel the plans for that party given how he treated everyone last week."

We've compiled this dictionary of common teen slang to help parents communicate with their kids. SafetyMode is the world's most advanced parental safety app for phones, making any Android phone safe for kids. You can find out more and download the app just here.

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