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
Examples of subculture in a Sentence
a subculture of local painters
a subculture of poverty and crime
Recent Examples on the Web
Elements of subcultures seeped into style, from wide-leg rave jeans with aggressive hardware to jeans with colorful anime prints.
—
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 9 July 2025
An interesting way these communities run is by sharing and associating with memes to indicate their knowledge of that subculture, explains Julian Burton, PhD in his research on youth, memes and the power of online cultural politics.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
They are split into rival gangs with distinct identities and subcultures and compete for the Sukeban World Championship.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2025
Sukeban’s league features top-tier Japanese wrestlers competing as members of rival gangs with distinct identities and subcultures from across Tokyo, all vying for the Sukeban World Championship.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for subculture
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Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 9 July 2025
An interesting way these communities run is by sharing and associating with memes to indicate their knowledge of that subculture, explains Julian Burton, PhD in his research on youth, memes and the power of online cultural politics.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
They are split into rival gangs with distinct identities and subcultures and compete for the Sukeban World Championship.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2025
Sukeban’s league features top-tier Japanese wrestlers competing as members of rival gangs with distinct identities and subcultures from across Tokyo, all vying for the Sukeban World Championship.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for subculture
Cite this Entry
“Subculture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subculture. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
subculture
2 of 2 transitive verb
subcultured; subculturing
: to culture (as bacteria) anew on a fresh medium by inoculation from an older culture
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