popular culture

[ pop-yuh-ler kuhl-cher ]

noun

1. cultural and commercial artifacts, media, and entertainment reflecting, suited to, or aimed at the tastes of the general masses of people:

   Most artists are influenced by a variety of external sources, including popular culture.

   The actor's role in the series made her an important figure in popular culture.

Word History and Origins

Origin of popular culture¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

It now has some claim to fame for introducing into popular culture the so-called “friendship paradox,” which researchers have used to detect the early onset of contagious outbreaks and design effective vaccination strategies.

From Nautilus

For decades, popular culture has stepped in where science has been unable to answer questions.

From Ozy

After going to market in 1998, Pfizer’s famous diamond-shaped product quickly rose to stardom, becoming an object of popular culture and an eye-watering moneymaker.

From Ozy

The practice of fasting has entered popular culture in recent years as a way to lose extra pounds.

From No Straight News

The buyer felt that the video is an important part of popular culture and shouldn’t be taken down.

From Time

Whether he gets his full due in popular culture remains to be seen.

From The Daily Beast

Kim Jung-un clearly recognizes that Hollywood and American popular culture in general constitute a dire threat.

From The Daily Beast

He branded it a fifth-column invasion into popular culture, normalizing radical, even communist ambitions.

From The Daily Beast

Porn parodies based on popular culture are certainly nothing new.

From The Daily Beast

The calavera, or decorated skull, is an archetype of Mexican popular culture.

From The Daily Beast

Where would you find this popular culture in any other country?

From Project Gutenberg

The keenest interest was manifested in everything pertaining to ethnography, philology and popular culture.

From Project Gutenberg

If our sex doffed its radiance, and did on blacks, what loss to popular culture!

From Project Gutenberg

They formed the chief element in the national education, and supplied the ideals of popular culture.

From Project Gutenberg

The really explanatory factors are the economic, the trend of popular culture.

From Project Gutenberg