subgenre

American

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

noun

a lesser or subordinate genre.

a subgenre of popular fiction.

subgenre British

/ ˈsʌbˌʒɑːnrə /

noun

a category that is a subdivision of a larger genre

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of subgenre

sub- + genre

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.

The English post-punk group fronted by Robert Smith is the standard-bearer for the moody subgenre known as goth, and the band last released an album of new work in 2008.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

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

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2025

But no: this has become a subgenre of its own, a kind of folk tale the news loves to tell.

From Salon • Sep. 11, 2025

AA’s ubiquity has resulted in countless depictions of 12-step recovery on-screen, an entire subgenre of “quit lit” memoirs, podcasts, and celebrity interviews.

From Slate • Sep. 10, 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

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