subculture

noun

sub·​cul·​ture ˈsəb-ˌkəl-chər 

1

a

: a culture (as of bacteria) derived from another culture

b

: an act or instance of producing a subculture

2

: an ethnic, regional, economic, or social group exhibiting characteristic patterns of behavior sufficient to distinguish it from others within an embracing culture or society

a criminal subculture

subcultural

ˌsəb-ˈkəlch-rəl, 

-ˈkəl-chə- 

adjective

subculturally adverb

subculture transitive verb

Examples of subculture in a Sentence

a subculture of local painters

a subculture of poverty and crime

Recent Examples on the Web

Co-directors Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen are veterans of mountain-climbing documentaries, and their credits with their production company, Sender Films, include a number of definitive works about the subculture. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026

Born blind and yearning for connection, his obsession sparks a subculture that helps shape the future of hacking and technology. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026

As much as anything else, these marketplaces are full-fledged subcultures. —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 6 May 2026

The principal remit of the CCCS was interrogation of the mass media and exploration of popular culture and subcultures. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for subculture

• agriculture
• apiculture
• aquaculture
• counterculture
• floriculture
• horticulture
• mariculture
• monoculture
• sericulture
• silviculture
• viticulture
• arboriculture

Medical Definition

subculture

1 of 2 noun

sub·​cul·​ture ˈsəb-ˌkəl-chər 

1

: a culture (as of bacteria) derived from another culture

2

: an act or instance of producing a subculture

subcultural

-ˈkəlch-(ə-)rəl 

adjective

subculturally

-ē 

adverb

subculture

2 of 2 transitive verb

subcultured; subculturing

: to culture (as bacteria) anew on a fresh medium by inoculation from an older culture