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
Jennifer SchuesslerExamples of subgenre in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There are subgenres of true crime, like true innocence, which investigates claims of wrongful conviction, that aren’t as lurid — but that’s not what Wolf is doing with Homicide.
—John J. Lennon, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2025
There are also many subgenres within fanfic beyond slash, some of them rather weird, like a magical pregnancy (Mpreg) story in which Sherlock Holmes and Watson fall so much in love with each other that one of them becomes magically pregnant.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2025
The film falls under supernatural horror, one of the 24 thriving subgenres identified in a Blumhouse study conducted with Sage Outcomes, which surveyed over 2,000 horror fans and experts, as discussed at the company’s inaugural Business of Fear event.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 July 2025
But that subgenre is far from the only religiously tinged music — created by everyone from devout evangelicals to open agnostics, from country artists to rappers — climbing the charts today; a number of pop songs are likewise courting the divine.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for subgenre
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.
John J. Lennon, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2025
There are also many subgenres within fanfic beyond slash, some of them rather weird, like a magical pregnancy (Mpreg) story in which Sherlock Holmes and Watson fall so much in love with each other that one of them becomes magically pregnant.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2025
The film falls under supernatural horror, one of the 24 thriving subgenres identified in a Blumhouse study conducted with Sage Outcomes, which surveyed over 2,000 horror fans and experts, as discussed at the company’s inaugural Business of Fear event.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 July 2025
But that subgenre is far from the only religiously tinged music — created by everyone from devout evangelicals to open agnostics, from country artists to rappers — climbing the charts today; a number of pop songs are likewise courting the divine.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for subgenre
Cite this Entry
“Subgenre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subgenre. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share