counterculture

noun

coun·​ter·​cul·​ture ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌkəl-chər How to pronounce counterculture (audio)
: a culture with values and mores that run counter to those of established society
countercultural adjective
counterculturalism noun
counterculturist noun

Examples of counterculture in a Sentence

the counterculture of the hippies He was part of the antiwar counterculture.
Recent Examples on the Web Through him, the counterculture. Ground zero was the actor’s arrival in New York in the mid-1940s and his apprenticeship in Stella Adler’s Dramatic Workshop at the New School for Social Research. Ty Burr, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024 While co-star and executive producer Laura Dern wasn’t present at the premiere, her producing partner Jayme Lemons spoke about her progressive character Linda, who represents the 1960s counterculture. Jaden Thompson, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 Horace, who is an enthusiast for counterculture documentaries, was tapped by Vox Creative and came up with a pitch that wowed the two AB+L leads immediately. Okla Jones, Essence, 9 Apr. 2024 John Sinclair, the beatnik poet and Detroit counterculture icon, died Tuesday morning of heart failure at 82. Detroit Free Press, 2 Apr. 2024 John Sinclair — the celebrated counterculture icon, poet, and political activist who advocated for cannabis and rock & roll and managed the MC5 — died on Tuesday at the age of 82. Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024 And Mink would remain a totally offbeat, outrageous presence in counterculture films for the next five decades. Daniel Scheffler, SPIN, 1 Apr. 2024 And George McGovern was, in essence, the Democratic Party’s first — and last — counterculture candidate. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024 Laurel Canyon became a hub for counterculture activity and psychedelic journeys in the late 1960s. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counterculture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterculture was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near counterculture

Cite this Entry

“Counterculture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterculture. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!