counterculture

IPA/ˈkaʊntəkʌltʃə(r)/
KK[kˈaʊntɚkˌʌltʃɚ]IPA/ˈkaʊntərkʌltʃər/

counterculture — noun

1. a way of living and thinking that pushes against the values most people accept i

1.nounC2
Definition

a way of living and thinking that pushes against the values most people accept in society, or a community built around those opposing beliefs.

Example

In the late 1960s, many students saw the hippie scene as a counterculture.

see ... as a counterculture

Lan joined an online counterculture that rejected office life and mainstream values.

counterculture that rejects accepted values

Common collocations
  • youth counterculture
  • counterculture movement
  • counterculture values
  • join a counterculture
Synonyms
  • subculture

    can mean a smaller social group with its own style, even when it is not fighting mainstream values

  • movement

    broader and often more political, without always implying a shared way of life

  • underground scene

    more informal and often tied to music or art rather than a full social outlook

Antonyms
  • mainstream culture

    the beliefs and habits most people in society accept

  • establishment

    the powerful social or political order that countercultures usually push against

Grammar Patterns

join a counterculture

see ... as a counterculture

counterculture around + activity

Usage Note

Usually used for a group or outlook that openly resists accepted social values, often in youth, music, or political contexts. Distinguish it from subculture, which can simply mean a smaller group with its own style.

Common Mistakes

Skateboarding became a counterculture because kids wore similar clothes.
Skateboarding became a subculture because kids wore similar clothes.
counterculture suggests active resistance to mainstream values, not only a shared style.

Word family

  • countercultural
    adjectiveC2
  • counterculturally
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Counterculture is stronger than subculture. A subculture may simply have its own clothes, music, or habits, while a counterculture openly pushes back against what most of society accepts. Movement is broader and often used for political or social action; people in a movement may share goals without sharing a full lifestyle. Underground scene is more informal and usually points to music, art, or nightlife, not a whole set of values. Alternative community is closer because it suggests people building a different social space, but it still does not always imply open resistance. You might say a punk counterculture challenged the establishment, while a local skate scene stayed a subculture rather than a full counterculture.

subculturemovement ↗underground scenealternative community

Common collocations

Nouns

  • youth counterculture
  • counterculture movement
  • counterculture values

Phrases

  • join a counterculture
  • belong to a counterculture
  • see something as a counterculture

Prepositions

  • counterculture of the 1960s
  • counterculture around live music

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

English formed counterculture in the twentieth century by joining counter-, meaning 'against' or 'in opposition', to culture. The word became especially common in the 1960s for groups whose ideas and lifestyles rejected accepted social rules and values.