subgenre
noun
sub·genre
ˈsəb-ˌzhän-rə 
-ˌzhäⁿ-;
-ˌzhäⁿr;
-ˌjän-rə
variants
or less commonly sub-genre
plural subgenres also sub-genres
: a genre that is part of a larger genre
The series is part of the booming "urban fantasy" subgenre, which features supernatural creatures interacting with ordinary humans in a contemporary city.—
Jennifer Schuessler
Jennifer SchuesslerExamples of subgenre in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Patrick is working in a subgenre of a subgenre.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
This web page, which invites users to look up the number of immigrants supposedly arrested on charges of criminal activity in American cities and towns, belongs to a subgenre of Trumpian gestures that are menacing and sophomoric at the same time.
—M. Gessen, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
Mostly forgotten today is a literary subgenre that sprang up in the nineteenth century in order to give fictional shape to anxieties about the possibility of Britain’s invasion and defeat by its European neighbors.
—Ivan Kreilkamp, JSTOR Daily, 10 June 2026
Part slasher parody, part meta commentary on the structure of horror movies, and fully riotous, Behind the Mask is a dreadfully under-appreciated contribution to the subgenre that would have made for a terrific franchise.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for subgenre
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Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
This web page, which invites users to look up the number of immigrants supposedly arrested on charges of criminal activity in American cities and towns, belongs to a subgenre of Trumpian gestures that are menacing and sophomoric at the same time.
—M. Gessen, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
Mostly forgotten today is a literary subgenre that sprang up in the nineteenth century in order to give fictional shape to anxieties about the possibility of Britain’s invasion and defeat by its European neighbors.
—Ivan Kreilkamp, JSTOR Daily, 10 June 2026
Part slasher parody, part meta commentary on the structure of horror movies, and fully riotous, Behind the Mask is a dreadfully under-appreciated contribution to the subgenre that would have made for a terrific franchise.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for subgenre
Cite this Entry
“Subgenre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subgenre. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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