popular culture

American

[pop-yuh-ler kuhl-cher] / ˈpɒp yə 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.

Christian symbols were lifted from church contexts and recirculated through popular culture, including fashion, in new ways.

From Salon • May 17, 2026

Eurovision's vast archives rack up millions of views on YouTube, with performances that have become entrenched in popular culture.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

At the time, the term “generation gap” loomed large in popular culture, signifying the struggle between the baby boomers and their parents.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

It was always going to be difficult trying to replicate the success of the original 2006 film, which is still regularly quoted in popular culture and has recently become a West End musical.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

And yet it had been glossed over in my education, and in popular culture, representations of the war and its reasons seemed obscured.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

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