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.

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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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Etymology

Origin of genre

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

Example Sentences

As genre names go, “post-punk” is particularly hard to pin down, but it’s generally used to describe an array of underground rock forms that emerged in the late ’70s, mostly in the U.K.

From The Wall Street Journal

Two streaming titles, both in the action/fantasy genre, recently pulled back the curtain for The Envelope, detailing their sophomore marketing strategies.

From Los Angeles Times

“Beauty is almost becoming its own genre, like music and sports,” says Katie Martin, executive vice president and managing director of e-commerce and marketing agency Front Row.

From Los Angeles Times

Though the film had a concrete ending, even the most cut-and-dry modest hits in the horror genre don’t stay dead for long.

From Salon

Tierney understands the book’s intense enthusiasts and the modern men-loving-men genre, which evolved from the Boys Love fandom that originated in 1970s Japanese culture and has persisted in contemporary media with fanfiction and romance writing.

From Salon

Related Words

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