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 adjective
counterculturalism noun
counterculturist noun

Example Sentences

the counterculture of the hippies He was part of the antiwar counterculture.
Recent Examples on the Web While Mindy is swept into the world of celebrity, Ginger spirals into the counterculture of cults and drugs. Ew Staff, EW.com, 10 May 2023 Born in Sacramento, California in 1934, Didion began making a name for herself in the late 1950s and early ’60s by penning essays that mediated on popular culture; hippie counterculture; personal struggles; and universal experiences like packing, moving and keeping a notebook. Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2022 In Newman's hands, Harper is a figure of the counterculture. Ew Staff, EW.com, 17 Mar. 2023 Those periods, both considered historic moments of catharsis following collective hardship, also saw sharp shifts in style: the former manifested in the glamor of Art Deco; the latter birthed hippies and counterculture. Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2021 Those are moving statements, and no one should have been cheering this on more than the American counterculture. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2023 Certain years come to represent something more than the span of a calendar across 12 months: 2016, the beginning of the Trump era; 2001, forever associated with September 11 and the war on terrorism that followed; 1969, a year synonymous with counterculture. Helena Fitzgerald, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2022 Bieber joins the likes of longtime stoner culture musicians like Willie Nelson, Carlos Santana, and Snoop Dogg in putting his name behind cannabis products, but rather leaning more into counterculture, Bieber and Palms want his line to normalize using marijuana. Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2021 The group also came under heat from the counterculture for something done routinely these days, appearing in Las Vegas. Roy Trakin, Variety, 31 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counterculture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterculture was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near counterculture

Cite this Entry

“Counterculture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterculture. Accessed 29 May. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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