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
Is this the beginning of the Julia Roberts Plays Herself subgenre?
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
The second subgenre of dystopian fiction are books that are more grounded in reality and offer a dark vision of what might actually happen if society goes down a particular trajectory.
—Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
The category is not a monolith but a broad network of interlinked subgenres, which rise and fall in popularity as readers’ tastes shift.
—Rebecca Ackermann, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2025
On popular social media platform TikTok, young adults fresh out of college have made the trials and tribulations associated with finding their first post-grad job a sort of subgenre.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subgenre
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Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
The second subgenre of dystopian fiction are books that are more grounded in reality and offer a dark vision of what might actually happen if society goes down a particular trajectory.
—Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
The category is not a monolith but a broad network of interlinked subgenres, which rise and fall in popularity as readers’ tastes shift.
—Rebecca Ackermann, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2025
On popular social media platform TikTok, young adults fresh out of college have made the trials and tribulations associated with finding their first post-grad job a sort of subgenre.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subgenre
Cite this Entry
“Subgenre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subgenre. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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