counterculture

noun

coun·​ter·​cul·​ture ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌkəl-chər How to pronounce counterculture (audio)
: a culture with values and mores that run counter to those of established society
countercultural
ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈkəlch-rəl
-ˈkəl-chə- How to pronounce counterculture (audio)
adjective
counterculturalism
ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈkəlch-rə-ˌli-zəm
-ˈkəl-chə- How to pronounce counterculture (audio)
noun
counterculturist noun

Examples of counterculture in a Sentence

the counterculture of the hippies He was part of the antiwar counterculture.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This two-part investigation begins with Harrison’s early days in Liverpool through his Fab Four years, including sojourns to India that radically changed the aims (and style) of the counterculture in Europe and North America. Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026 Given these new environmental concerns, the hippie counterculture of the late 1960s and early ’70s dovetailed neatly with the organic-farming movement. Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026 On that note, while England at that time was strictly sequestered society and enforced attendance at Protestant Church or be brought to court, looking at Shakespeare’s plays, there was this huge counterculture, this cross-current of other beliefs. Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026 But the Dead continued — and Weir was instrumental in keeping the sound of San Francisco's counterculture alive. David Morgan, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for counterculture

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterculture was in 1947

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Cite this Entry

“Counterculture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterculture. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

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