genre

American  

[zhahn-ruh, zhahn-r^uh] / ˈʒɑn rə, ˈʒɑ̃ rə /

noun

genres plural

1. a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content, technique, or the like.

   the genre of epic poetry; the genre of symphonic music.

2. Fine Arts.

   1. paintings in which scenes of everyday life form the subject matter.

   2. a realistic style of painting using such subject matter.

3. genus; kind; sort; style.

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adjective

1. Fine Arts. of or relating to genre.

2. of or relating to a distinctive literary type.

genre British  

/ ˈʒɑːnrə /

noun

1. 1. kind, category, or sort, esp of literary or artistic work

   2. ( as modifier )

      genre fiction

2. a category of painting in which domestic scenes or incidents from everyday life are depicted

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genre Cultural  

1. The kind or type of a work of art, from the French, meaning “kind” or “genus.” Literary genres include the novel and the sonnet. Musical genres include the concerto and the symphony. Film genres include Westerns and horror movies.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• genres
  plural

Etymology

Origin of genre

First recorded in 1760–70; from French: “kind, sort”; see gender ¹

Explanation

A genre is a specific type of music, film, or writing. Your favorite literary genre might be science fiction, and your favorite film genre might be horror flicks about cheerleaders. Go figure. In music, genre refers to musical style such as jazz, salsa or rock. In film or literature, the genre is determined by the subject, setting or plot of the story. When you are wandering around a book store, books are usually arranged by genre. Many genres, such as "mystery" or "fantasy," overlap in film and literature, while others, such as "romantic comedy" in film or "historical fiction" in books, are specific to one or the other.

Example Sentences

Appeared in the June 10, 2026, print edition as 'Unbound by Genre'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Genre geeks love stories that dance in foggy moral swamps, but in choosing a character through which to express our power fantasies, we prefer to be clear about the side we’re taking.

From Salon • May 26, 2025

The company also established a partnership with filmmaker Simon Kinberg’s Genre Films production firm to find an unpublished manuscript that will get an 18-month option for $25,000.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2024

Country music has never been immune to the nation’s social and political forces, says Amanda Marie Martinez, author of the upcoming “Gone Country: How Nashville Transformed a Music Genre into a Lifestyle Brand.”

From Seattle Times • Feb. 9, 2024

David Paglia and Paul Genre, attempting to escape to the Alps, with each his son, were pursued and overtaken by the soldiers in a large plain.

From Fox's Book of Martyrs Or A History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Triumphant Deaths of the Primitive Protestant Martyrs by Foxe, John

Related Words

• brand
• category
• character
• fashion
• kind
• style