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.

Secular and Christian popular culture swim in opposing halves of divided entertainment waters, despite broadcast TV’s lengthy history of featuring Christian-leaning shows.

From Salon

Each newly discovered species must be given a scientific name, and researchers often draw inspiration from people, experiences, or even popular culture.

From Science Daily

Shortly after the launch, Altman encouraged users to find different ways to splice him into famous or iconic scenes from popular culture.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fuller-Seeley says that “singing ‘Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?’ really caught on in popular culture as a way of trying to thumb your nose at the Great Depression.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Your voice is so familiar and ingrained in popular culture.

From The Wall Street Journal

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