subculture

noun

sub·​cul·​ture ˈsəb-ˌkəl-chər How to pronounce subculture (audio)
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- How to pronounce subculture (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Several images show Bahraini men dressed as cowboys—a subculture that formed in part when graduates in the late sixties and seventies who attended colleges in Texas, where their exposure to Clint Eastwood and rodeo culture overlapped with an existing love of horses, returned home. M. Z. Adnan, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2024 On platforms like TikTok and Instagram, a subculture of housewives had been rapidly growing in popularity. Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 14 Nov. 2024 The band’s touring long held together a subculture of Deadheads who traded cassette recordings, traveled behind the band. Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 26 Oct. 2024 But the five-years-long beef is a glimpse of a rap subculture suffocating on its own bloodlust. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for subculture 

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of subculture was in 1885

Dictionary Entries Near subculture

Cite this Entry

“Subculture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subculture. Accessed 14 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

subculture

1 of 2 noun
sub·​cul·​ture ˈsəb-ˌkəl-chər How to pronounce subculture (audio)
1
: a culture (as of bacteria) derived from another culture
2
: an act or instance of producing a subculture
subcultural adjective
subculturally adverb

subculture

2 of 2 transitive verb
subcultured; subculturing
: to culture (as bacteria) anew on a fresh medium by inoculation from an older culture
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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