genre

noun

\ ˈzhän-rə

, ˈzhäⁿ-; ˈzhäⁿr; ˈjän-rə\

Definition of genre

1 : a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content a classic of the gothic novel genre

2 : kind, sort

3 : painting that depicts scenes or events from everyday life usually realistically

Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about genre

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Did You Know?

Genre, as you might guess from the way it sounds, comes straight from French, a language based on Latin. It's closely related to genus, a word you may have encountered in biology class. Both words contain the gen- root because they indicate that everything in a particular category (a genre or a genus) belongs to the same "family" and thus has the same origins. So the main genres of classical music would include symphonies, sonatas, and opera, and the major genres of literature would include novels, short stories, poetry, and drama. But within the category of novels, we could also say that detective novels, sci-fi novels, romance novels, and young-adult novels are separate genres.

Examples of genre in a Sentence

In genre fiction there is an implied contract between writer and reader that justice of a kind will be exacted; "good" may not always triumph over "evil," but the distinction between the two must be honored. — Joyce Carol Oates, New York Review of Books, 14 Aug. 2003 One of the first marketers outside of hip-hop to recognize the power of the genre … . he first sent models sashaying down the runway in 1991 in hip-hop chic, with sneakers and chunky gold chains … — Johnnie L. Roberts, Newsweek, 2 Sept. 2002 Even the local Catholic archdiocesan weekly, hardly an exciting genre, offers a more provocative sampling of opinion on its editorial page. — Walker Percy, "New Orleans Mon Amour," 1968, in Signposts in a Strange Land, 1991 This book is a classic of the mystery genre. the novel's hero is of a different genre than the traditional kind

Recent Examples on the Web

But the very nature of David Makes Man both invents a doorway into something new and rebels against a genre of TV-making that has historically cast out the stories of black teen boys. — Wired, "David Makes Man Invents a Doorway to a New Kind of TV," 28 Aug. 2019 The 10,000 hour rule has become something of a cultural phenomenon in the last decade as well as a staple in the self-help genre and business world. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Practice Will Make You Better, But Maybe Not the Best," 23 Aug. 2019 Such stark choices are the essence of the classic western, which is why the genre and its three brightest stars, Gary Cooper, Randolph Scott, and John Wayne, continue to retain their near-mythic hold on the imaginations of American moviegoers. — Terry Teachout, National Review, "Western Movies," 22 Aug. 2019 The 2019-20 competition is open to Indiana bands and musicians of all styles and genres. — David Lindquist, Indianapolis Star, "Battle of the Bands competition revived at the Hi-Fi and the Vogue," 14 Aug. 2019 Every genre and type of story that my son can imagine seems to be contained within its generous boundaries. — Dave Itzkoff, New York Times, "‘Yellow Submarine’ & Me," 5 Aug. 2019 The other genre that nicely demonstrates the divided nature of 1969 is the musical. — Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "At the movies, doing just fine in ’69," 18 July 2019 Meanwhile, Netflix's plan to infiltrate all aspects of television with a bombardment of shows in most every genre was a success. — Whitney Friedlander, CNN, "HBO reclaims its crown as the most Emmy-nominated network," 16 July 2019 At its core, the genre is a tool for building thought experiment machines. — Adam Rogers, WIRED, "HBO's Years and Years Unlocks Sci-Fi's Ultimate Potential," 11 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'genre.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for genre

genre

noun

English Language Learners Definition of genre

: a particular type or category of literature or art

See the full definition for genre in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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genre

Definition of genre

Synonyms for genre

Did You Know?

Examples of genre in a Sentence

First Known Use of genre

History and Etymology for genre

English Language Learners Definition of genre

genre

Definition of genre

Synonyms for genre

Did You Know?

Examples of genre in a Sentence

First Known Use of genre

History and Etymology for genre

English Language Learners Definition of genre

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