subgenre

noun

sub·​genre ˈsəb-ˌzhän-rə 

-ˌzhäⁿ-;

-ˌzhäⁿr;

-ˌjän-rə

variants or less commonly sub-genre

plural subgenres also sub-genres

: a genre that is part of a larger genre

The series is part of the booming "urban fantasy" subgenre, which features supernatural creatures interacting with ordinary humans in a contemporary city.

—Jennifer Schuessler

Examples of subgenre in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While its desert setting, Morricone-adjacent score, and light themes of vengeance help justify the temptation to shoehorn it into a recognizable niche subgenre, its use of Western imagery is ultimately too loose to merit such a label. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2025

Until Dawn Until Dawn didn’t seem to impress many devotees of the 2015 video game that inspired it, but I was charmed by its Groundhog Day approach to exploring multiple subgenres. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025

How does the Recording Academy deal with fragmentation and the fact that music fans are listening to more subgenres and global artists than ever? —Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 4 Dec. 2025

Zodiac Killer Project starts as an autopsy of a fail, and ends up dismantling the subgenre via a sort of cinematic jujitsu. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above