steampunk

noun

steam·punk ˈstēm-ˌpəŋk

: science fiction dealing with 19th-century societies dominated by historical or imagined steam-powered technology

Did you know?

I think Victorian fantasies are going to be the next big thing, as long as we can come up with a fitting collective term for [Tim] Powers, [James] Blaylock and myself. So wrote the science-fiction author K. W. Jeter, credited with coining the term steampunk in 1987 to describe a wave of fantasy novels set in Victorian times and celebrating the technology of the era, much of which was powered by steam. In both name and subject, steampunk is an antithesis to cyberpunk, a genre often noted for featuring computerized, futuristic, or unearthly settings. The popularity of steampunk has since carried over to motion pictures, fashion, and even things like restaurant décor.

Examples of steampunk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Though obviously infused with elements of science fiction and steampunk, Poor Things is set in Victorian London (with excursions to Lisbon, Alexandria, and Paris), and Bella's free spirit defies the strict social expectations of that period. —

Christian Holub, EW.com, 21 Feb. 2024 Leaning slightly into steampunk, the industrial yet futuristic design of the Wonka universe is chock-full of intelligent decor tricks. —

Abby Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Dec. 2023 The city is unnamed, and, as for the period, my guess would be late-Victorian steampunk, tricked out with modernist gewgaws. —

Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023 Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and based on Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel, the movie takes place in a steampunk, otherworldly Victorian wonderland, and Bella’s story unfolds like a twisted fairy tale. —

Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2023 See all Example Sentences for steampunk

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