counterculture

[ koun-ter-kuhl-cher ]

noun

1. the culture and lifestyle of those people, especially among the young, who reject or oppose the dominant values and behavior of society.

counterculture

/ ˈkaʊntəˌkʌltʃə /

noun

1. an alternative culture, deliberately at variance with the social norm

counterculture

1. A protest movement by American youth that arose in the late 1960s and faded during the late 1970s. According to some, young people in the United States were forming a culture of their own, opposed to the culture of Middle America . ( See hippies and Woodstock .)

Other Words From

• counter·cultur·al adjective
• counter·cultur·ist counter·cultur·al·ist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of counterculture¹

First recorded in 1965–70; counter- + culture

Example Sentences

Howard Marks made his name initially as a notorious cannabis smuggler before becoming a campaigner, writer and something of a counterculture legend in the process.

From BBC

There was no mass dissemination of counterculture the way we have now.

From Los Angeles Times

The liberal Bay Area city, known for its hippie counterculture, free speech and anti-war movements, helped shape Harris early on.

From Los Angeles Times

For anxious parents who worried that Vietnam-era counterculture might swallow their children, the heiress with the M1 seemed the nightmare embodiment of how far rebellion might go.

From Los Angeles Times

The incident was one of several which marked his experiences of the DNC, which also included the police "stomping out" religious ministers tied to the counterculture movement.

From BBC