What does "cyberpunk" mean?
A subgenre of science fiction which focuses on computer or information technology and virtual reality juxtaposed with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order.
Cyberpunk
/ˈsaɪ.bə.pʌŋk/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A subgenre of science fiction which focuses on computer or information technology and virtual reality juxtaposed with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order.
- Grammar: cyberpunk is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: cyber aesthetics, cyber-terrorist, cyberpunk aesthetics, cyberpunk culture.
- Useful contrasts: lowtech, noncyberpunk, utopian.
- Usage evidence: This game's setting has been described as cyberpunk, but I disagree.
How to use "cyberpunk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cyberpunk" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cyberpunk" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cyberpunk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cyberpunk" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cyberpunk" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cyber aesthetics" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cyberpunk", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A subgenre of science fiction which focuses on computer or information technology and virtual reality juxtaposed with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order. uncountable
"But by 1987, cyberpunk had become a cliche. Other writers had turned the form into formula: implant wetware (biological computer chips), government by multinational corporations, street-wise, leather-jacketed, amphetamine-loving protagonists and decayed orbital colonies."
- 2 a genre of fast-paced science fiction involving oppressive futuristic computerized societies wordnet
- 3 A cyberpunk character, a hacker punk, a high-tech low life. countable
"The film The Matrix redefined what a cyberpunk looked like."
- 4 a writer of science fiction set in a lawless subculture of an oppressive society dominated by computer technology wordnet
- 5 A writer of cyberpunk fiction. countable
"[…] cyberpunks like William Gibson, Lucious Sheperd^([sic]), Bruce Sterling […]"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 a programmer who breaks into computer systems in order to steal or change or destroy information as a form of cyber-terrorism wordnet
- 7 A musical genre related to the punk movement that makes use of electronic sounds such as synthesizers. uncountable
"A more technologically elaborate current of microtonal music can be found at M.I.T and Berklee College of Music, where R. Boulanger works in exotic equal temperaments and non-octave scales (E₆₀ and the 13th root of 3, i.e. the Bohlen-Pierce scale) using the CSOUND acoustic compiler, the Mathews radio drum and various MIDI synthesizers; nearby, E. Mullen performs cyberpunk music in E₁₉ and the 13th root of 3."
Synonyms
All synonyms cyber aestheticscyber-terroristcyberpunk aestheticscyberpunk culturecyberpunk fictioncyberpunk genre
Antonyms
Example
"This game's setting has been described as cyberpunk, but I disagree."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cyberpunk"?
Common synonyms include: cyber aesthetics, cyber-terrorist, cyberpunk aesthetics, cyberpunk culture, cyberpunk fiction, cyberpunk genre.
How do you use "cyberpunk" in a sentence?
This game's setting has been described as cyberpunk, but I disagree.
How do you pronounce "cyberpunk"?
Pronounced /ˈsaɪ.bə.pʌŋk/.
Etymology
From cyber- + -punk, coined by American writer and software developer Bruce Bethke as the title of a 1983 short story, and later popularized by Gardner Dozois.