popular culture

American

[pop-yuh-ler kuhl-cher] / ˈpɒp jə lər ˈkʌl tʃər /

noun

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.

Etymology

Origin of popular culture

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

popular culture

Rock music no longer occupies the same place in popular culture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026

It can be incredibly uniting, but at the same time it sits at the heart of popular culture.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

You’ll be excused for viewing that shameless promotion with cynicism as long as you also leave room to appreciate it as an indicator of how far the group has pulled popular culture.

From Salon ● May 31, 2026

Platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi let users bet on future events in areas such as politics, war, and popular culture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

Finally: Access to popular culture and to the Internet isn’t a privilege.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023