Meaning & use
subculture
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Meaning
nouncountable
A group within a larger society that has its own distinct interests, values, or ways of behaving.
Grammar: Countable: can be used with 'a' and has a plural 'subcultures'.
Patterns
- a subculture of something
- belong to a subculture
- youth subculture
The punk subculture emerged in the 1970s with its own fashion and music.
Researchers studied the subculture of online gamers.
Each subculture has its own language and rituals.
Word forms
| plural | subcultures |
|---|
Common combinations
- youth subculture
- Youth subcultures often challenge mainstream values.
- belong to a subculture
- Many teenagers want to belong to a subculture that accepts them.
- a subculture of
- There is a subculture of extreme sports enthusiasts in this city.
Synonyms and how they differ
- counterculture
- A counterculture actively opposes mainstream values; a subculture may simply differ from the mainstream without opposing it.
- clique
- A clique is a small, exclusive group, often disapproving; a subculture is larger and has shared practices and identity.
Opposites
Word family
- subcultural adjective
- Relating to a subculture.
- culture noun
- The shared customs, beliefs, and arts of a society.
Commonly confused: subculture or suburb?
subculture vs suburb
A 'suburb' is a residential area outside a city; a 'subculture' is a social group with its own identity.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'subculture' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Subculture' refers to a group within society with distinct interests, so the skateboarders example fits. The other options confuse it with 'culture' or 'suburb'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “subculture”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.