genre

gen-re · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A category of artistic composition, as in music, literature, or film, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

  2. 2.

    A style or category of art, music, or literature.

  3. 3.

    A particular type or category of something.

Forms

plural: genres

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    genre fiction — commercial fiction categorized by type (mystery, romance, etc.)
  • •
    cross-genre — combining elements from multiple genres
  • •
    genre-bending — defying traditional genre classifications
  • •
    subgenre — a more specific category within a genre

Related words

See also: category, fiction, style, type
Synonyms: category, kind, style, type

Etymology

From French genre ("kind, sort, style"), from Latin genus ("birth, origin, type, kind"), from Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to give birth, beget."