genre

American  

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

noun

plural

genres

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.

---

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

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of genre

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

Example Sentences

Reid, an ice hockey enthusiast, started writing fan fiction in the sport romance genre before her stories became bestsellers.

From BBC

Duvall was particularly drawn to the western, a genre he returned to repeatedly throughout his career.

From The Wall Street Journal

He aims to highlight emerging British talent across a range of genres that have inspired his work, including pop, soul, rock and the underground scene.

From BBC

"This is an outstanding opening for a romance film. The weekend figure is four times the average for the genre," said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

From Barron's

In a genre that often codes food as indulgence, this is maintenance.

From Salon

Related Words

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