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-ˈkəl-chə-rist 

noun

Examples of counterculture in a Sentence

the counterculture of the hippies

He was part of the antiwar counterculture.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Marvel comics of the 1960s were firmly set in New York; Stan Lee and his collaborators clearly felt the influence of the changing urban environment, at the same time their work became a vital force in the evolving counterculture. —Literary Hub, 25 Nov. 2025

In the process, Gimme Shelter became not just a record of a tour, but a requiem for the 1960s counterculture and its utopian promise. —Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025

By decade’s end, London and Paris newcomers Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier, respectively, contributed to redefining tartan, reshaping its presence in counterculture fashion. —Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025

Riley was a pioneer of West Coast counterculture, whose ecstatically looping patterns had influenced psychedelic rock. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 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