subculture

noun sub·cul·ture \ ˈsəb-ˌkəl-chər \

Definition of subculture

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

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subcultural

play \-ˈkəlch-rəl, -ˈkəl-chə-\ adjective

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subculturally

adverb

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subculture

transitive verb

See subculture defined for English-language learners

Examples of subculture in a Sentence

a subculture of local painters
a subculture of poverty and crime

Recent Examples of subculture from the Web

The initiative is one of several in Sao Paulo where major firms are making the most of a tech-savvy subculture — and a slump in the commercial real estate market — to create branded spaces for innovation in Latin America's biggest business hub.

— reuters, Fortune, "Facebook Unveils Center to Teach Brazilian Coders and Entrepreneurs," 28 Aug. 2017
Anastasia Beverly Hills is feeling some major heat after the launch of their latest palette, Subculture.

— kelsey stiegman, Seventeen, "Anastasia Beverly Hills Apologizes After Subculture Backlash: "We Have the Best Intentions"," 16 Aug. 2017
Usually the struggles of creating the perfect product are usually kept out of the public eye, but Subculture's have been on full display.

— devon abelman, Allure, "Claudia Soare Responds to Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Palette Backlash," 3 Aug. 2017
Over the centuries, the strange geology of the marble mountains has produced an equally strange human community — strange even by the standards of Italy’s fractious regional subcultures.

— luca locatelli and sam anderson, New York Times, "The Majestic Marble Quarries of Northern Italy," 26 July 2017
Pepe the Frog, a symbol of Alt-Right online communities, appears on a sign at a Trump rally (Reuters: Carlo Allegri) An entertaining new book explores the roots and rise of the Internet’s most infamous subculture.

— michael brendan dougherty, National Review, "The Kids Are Alt-Right," 11 July 2017
Indeed, press reports in the late 19th century are riddled with depictions of a complex and thriving gay subculture.

— steve rothaus, miamiherald, "South Florida LGBTQ activists plan art-centered Key West to Cuba Festival," 30 June 2017
Coach came of age as American style and subcultures and counter-cultures were forming.

— jonathan evans, Esquire, "An Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Look at Coach's New Campaign," 28 June 2017
Groups of young people had spent years building and participating in what felt to them like an independent subculture.

— john herrman, New York Times, "Why the Far Right Wants to Be the New ‘Alternative’ Culture," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'subculture.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.