subculture

American  

[suhb-kuhl-cher, suhb-kuhl-cher] / sʌbˈkʌl tʃər, ˈsʌbˌkʌl tʃər /

verb (used with object)

subcultured, subculturing

1. Bacteriology. to cultivate (a bacterial strain) again on a new medium.

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noun

1. Bacteriology. a culture derived in this manner.

2. Sociology.

   1. the cultural values and behavioral patterns distinctive of a particular group in a society.

   2. a group having social, economic, ethnic, or other traits distinctive enough to distinguish it from others within the same culture or society.

subculture British  

noun

1. a subdivision of a national culture or an enclave within it with a distinct integrated network of behaviour, beliefs, and attitudes

2. a culture of microorganisms derived from another culture

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verb

1. (tr) to inoculate (bacteria from one culture medium) onto another medium

subculture Cultural  

1. A group within a society that has its own shared set of customs, attitudes, and values, often accompanied by jargon or slang. A subculture can be organized around a common activity, occupation, age, status, ethnic background, race, religion, or any other unifying social condition, but the term is often used to describe deviant groups, such as thieves and drug users. (See counterculture.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subculturally
  adverb
• subcultural
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of subculture

First recorded in 1895–1900; sub- + culture

Explanation

A subculture is a group of people within a larger culture, such as a country, who have something in common. They might share religious or political beliefs or be science fiction fans, for example. A culture is how people live, sometimes based on where they live — you can refer to American culture, Canadian culture, or to an Australian culture. Within these larger cultures, there are also subcultures of many sizes. The Native American community is a subculture, as is the Mormon community. Also, subcultures can be based on interests, like "Deadheads" who used to follow around the rock band "The Grateful Dead." Before 1936, the word subculture was only used by scientists to talk about bacterial cultures.

Example Sentences

This techno-libertarian subculture used to be just that: a subculture.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

That image mushroomed into an entire online subculture and inspired a teenager named Kane Parsons to make a series of hugely popular videos on YouTube.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

For thousands of young fans, who swarmed the band’s outlaw concerts under blighted freeways during the pandemic, Dead City are a cathartic social phenomenon that’s reignited a riotous punk rock subculture in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

What began as a fringe subculture is now, unmistakably, part of the cultural conversation.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

A new subculture was born, composed of the millions of people who now devoted every free moment of their lives to searching for Halliday’s egg.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline