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

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

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2025

YouTube more recently spawned a subgenre now popular on TikTok in which video creators stop and talk to strangers on the street in hopes of generating surprisingly comedic or provocative content.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 14, 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