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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
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
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Related Stories Using tools of the horror genre and the latest real-time animation technology, Castillo brings the ghosts of Goya’s past and the voice of the house itself, portrayed by the iconic Maribel Verdú, to visceral, gothic life.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 7 June 2025
In the late 1970s, punk briefly ruled the roost and the genre’s DIY ethic struck a chord with fans who had grown tired of the music press and fancied having a go themselves.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 June 2025
And is chock full of major festivals that will bring fans from virtually every musical genre: Bonnaroo, Boston Calling, Lollapalooza — even the Newport Folk Festival.
—Marcus K. Dowling, USA Today, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for genre
Cite this Entry
“Genre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genre. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
genre
noun
French
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