Definition: Genre

Etymology

Borrowed from French genre (“kind”), from Latin genus, generem (cognate with Ancient Greek γένος (génos)). Doublet of gender, genus, and kin.

Noun

genre (plural genres)

1. A kind; a stylistic category or sort, especially of literature or other artworks.

   The still-life has been a popular genre in painting since the seventeenth century.

   The computer game Half-Life redefined the first-person shooter genre.

Derived terms

• sub-genre
• literary genre
• film genre
• dramatic genre
• genre fiction
• theatrical genre

Related terms

• gender
• general
• generate
• genus

Credits

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• genre  ^history