subgenre

American  

[suhb-zhahn-ruh, -zhahn-r^uh] / ˈsʌbˌʒɑn rə, -ˌʒɑ̃ rə /

noun

1. a lesser or subordinate genre.

   a subgenre of popular fiction.

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subgenre British  

/ ˈsʌbˌʒɑːnrə /

noun

1. a category that is a subdivision of a larger genre

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Etymology

Origin of subgenre

sub- + genre

Example Sentences

Where some see a black comedy, others see horror and/or a bleak exploration of the pressures of motherhood — an increasingly popular subgenre referred to by some as “mum noir.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

Meanwhile, culinary competition is its own highly prolific reality TV subgenre.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2026

But as a teenager in the mid-2010s, she was also enamored with the rambunctious hip-hop subgenre known as SoundCloud rap, which made stars out of XXXTentacion and Lil Uzi Vert.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

Slowcore is a subgenre of indie rock characterised by its slow tempos, minimal arrangements, and melancholic atmosphere.

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2025

And there is a whole subgenre of ancestor research—sons and daughters flying to New York clutching scrapbooks, tracking down letters of indenture, photographs, birth certificates.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline