subculture

[ verb suhb-kuhl-cher; noun suhb-kuhl-cher ]

verb (used with object)

, sub·cul·tured, sub·cul·tur·ing.

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

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

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

verb

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

subculture

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 .)

Derived Forms

• subˈcultural, adjective

Other Words From

• sub·cultur·al adjective
• sub·cultur·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of subculture¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; sub- + culture

Example Sentences

The subculture includes “furries,” or people who dress up in elaborate animal costumes.

From Los Angeles Times

Ms Horton said there was a large variation within the subculture.

From BBC

Lorenz says this was “the beginnings of people wanting to bring online culture into real-life spaces,” which, not coincidentally, was around the same time that subcultures became much more influential online.

From Los Angeles Times

But some experts question whether Trump has much room to grow his voting base among heavily male subcultures, where he has long had support.

From BBC

Social media generally breeds this problem of people getting so enmeshed in their subcultures that they forget that most people don't share their jargon or euphemisms.

From Salon