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
No global business depends more on fan avidity than sport, where rabid subcultures of tribal commitment often defy traditional customer segmentation.
—
Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 4 Dec. 2025
Trad wives are a subculture of women who believe in clear gender roles and show other women their homemaker lifestyle on social media, which often involves living on a homestead and making food from scratch.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 30 Nov. 2025
November 27, 2025 Gorpcore was once a niche subculture for climbers, hikers and weekend campers, but has since become one of fashion’s most influential aesthetics.
—Amy Francombe, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
In The Crisis of Culture, published in English in 2024, the French political scientist Olivier Roy claims that the canon has been abandoned, subcultures have been reduced to superficial identity groups, and the marketplace has swallowed everything.
—W. David Marx, The Atlantic, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subculture
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Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 4 Dec. 2025
Trad wives are a subculture of women who believe in clear gender roles and show other women their homemaker lifestyle on social media, which often involves living on a homestead and making food from scratch.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 30 Nov. 2025
November 27, 2025 Gorpcore was once a niche subculture for climbers, hikers and weekend campers, but has since become one of fashion’s most influential aesthetics.
—Amy Francombe, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
In The Crisis of Culture, published in English in 2024, the French political scientist Olivier Roy claims that the canon has been abandoned, subcultures have been reduced to superficial identity groups, and the marketplace has swallowed everything.
—W. David Marx, The Atlantic, 25 Nov. 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 5 Dec. 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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