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.

"His story has not been told and I really wanted him to be remembered in a significant way, given that his work is all about popular culture, everyday life," she said.

From BBC • 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

“What we are seeing in the last 10-15 years, which we didn’t see earlier from a Punjabi-Sikh perspective, is Punjabi music’s acceptance in show business and popular culture in the U.S.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

But Altman wanted OpenAI to also be the AI company that used the technology to reshape popular culture and entertainment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

But for anyone who's more familiar with the strict-foreign-parent archetype in popular culture, let's break down the stereotypes associated with Persian moms and dads.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

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