subgenre
noun
sub·genre
ˈsəb-ˌzhän-rə 
-ˌzhäⁿ-;
-ˌzhäⁿr;
-ˌjän-rə
variants
or less commonly sub-genre
plural subgenres also sub-genres
: a genre that is part of a larger genre
The series is part of the booming "urban fantasy" subgenre, which features supernatural creatures interacting with ordinary humans in a contemporary city.—
Jennifer Schuessler
Jennifer SchuesslerExamples of subgenre in a Sentence
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The roster, published each week by Billboard, ranks the most successful tunes across all radio stations that focus on playing adult contemporary music, a subgenre of pop.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
This highly addictive subgenre combines sci-fi and fantasy storytelling with video game mechanics like stats and quest logs.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 23 May 2026
Shifting between Spanish and French, Sofish delivers a heavy pump of French house music and a funky flow of moombahton, a subgenre that combines Dutch house music and reggaeton.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Red herrings are prevalent in the subgenre, and suspects come and go, leading to a late-stage revelation that suddenly shifts everything into place.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for subgenre
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Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
This highly addictive subgenre combines sci-fi and fantasy storytelling with video game mechanics like stats and quest logs.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 23 May 2026
Shifting between Spanish and French, Sofish delivers a heavy pump of French house music and a funky flow of moombahton, a subgenre that combines Dutch house music and reggaeton.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Red herrings are prevalent in the subgenre, and suspects come and go, leading to a late-stage revelation that suddenly shifts everything into place.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for subgenre
Cite this Entry
“Subgenre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subgenre. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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