counterculture

noun

coun·​ter·​cul·​ture ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌkəl-chər 

: a culture with values and mores that run counter to those of established society

countercultural

ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈkəlch-rəl 

-ˈkəl-chə-

adjective

counterculturalism

ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈkəlch-rə-ˌli-zəm 

-ˈkəl-chə-

noun

counterculturist

ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈkəlch-rə-list 

-ˈkəl-chə-

noun

Examples of counterculture in a Sentence

the counterculture of the hippies

He was part of the antiwar counterculture.

Recent Examples on the Web

Constantine was counterculture that then became the mainstream culture. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025

Whenever something that was once counterculture becomes a mainstream staple, it gets watered down. —Angel Diaz, Billboard, 22 Apr. 2025

OneTaste in its heyday was a titillating blend of San Francisco’s counterculture and its tech boom — a wellness startup that made headlines by advocating female empowerment through orgasm. —Devlin Barrett, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025

Both films fit right in alongside the festival’s other offerings, signaling a connection to previous notions of counterculture and alternative methods of production and distribution. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for counterculture

• agriculture
• apiculture
• aquaculture
• floriculture
• horticulture
• mariculture
• monoculture
• sericulture
• silviculture
• viticulture
• arboriculture
• culture