counterculture

noun

coun·​ter·​cul·​ture ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌkəl-chər 

: a culture with values and mores that run counter to those of established society

countercultural

ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈkəlch-rəl 

-ˈkəl-chə-

adjective

counterculturalism

ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈkəlch-rə-ˌli-zəm 

-ˈkəl-chə-

noun

counterculturist

ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈkəlch-rə-list 

-ˈkəl-chə-

noun

Examples of counterculture in a Sentence

the counterculture of the hippies

He was part of the antiwar counterculture.

Recent Examples on the Web

Over three decades, starting in the late 1950s, Druid Heights was a chess board of rotating characters: the kings, queens and pawns of California counterculture — always moving, always changing. —Damian Panetta, The Mercury News, 8 Oct. 2024

Since then, it’s moved West and morphed into a slick, high-end wellness behemoth—a constant site of workaday paparazzi photos, a case study in capitalism posing as counterculture. —Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024

Also a known activist, Kristofferson advocated for workers’, immigrants’ and farmers’ rights, becoming an emblem for counterculture artists. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2024

Advertisement The Famous Amos stores’ success was swift, becoming a magnet for celebrities, counterculture figures and children’s birthday parties. —Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above