What does "meme" mean?
Any unit of (originally cultural) information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another in a comparable way to the transmission of genes.
Meme
/miːm/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any unit of (originally cultural) information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another in a comparable way to the transmission of genes.
- Grammar: meme is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: circulate memes, create memes, cultural element, cultural replicator.
- Useful contrasts: ban memes, ignore memes, reject parody.
- Usage evidence: I only know the song because it was a meme.
How to use "meme"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "meme" 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 "meme" 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 "meme" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "meme" 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 "meme" is acting as noun, verb, slang 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 "circulate memes" 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 "meme", 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 Any unit of (originally cultural) information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another in a comparable way to the transmission of genes.
"Examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches."
- 2 granny; nana informal
"When my parents got a divorce my dad washed his hands of my mom and me. He just pretended neither she nor I existed. If it weren't for my Meme, I would have lost all contact with the Atwood family after the divorce."
- 3 a cultural unit (an idea or value or pattern of behavior) that is passed from one person to another by non-genetic means (as by imitation) wordnet
- 4 Media, usually humorous, which is copied and circulated online with slight adaptations, such as basic pictures, video templates, etc. Internet
"He posted a meme that went viral within a few hours on social media."
- 5 A specific instance of a meme, such as an image macro or a video, often with humorous superimposed text. Internet
"This meme generator lets you make your own memes by adding a caption to existing images, or by uploading your own image."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Something which is deceptive; a trick, a ruse. Internet, derogatory
"It's a meme degree, you know. Good luck getting a job from that."
- 7 Something not to be taken seriously; a joke. Internet, derogatory
"It's a meme degree, you know. Good luck getting a job from that."
- 8 A work produced and shared in response to a prompt or suggestion within an online group. Internet
"kink meme"
Verb
- 1 To create and use humorous memes. Internet, intransitive
"Yesterday afternoon four kids went to the hospital for injuries resulting from memeing in front of a local cafe. Faith Hilling, Taylor Swifting. These are things that will get you killed!"
- 2 To turn into a meme; to use a meme, especially to achieve a goal in real life. Internet, transitive
"Scott Greer, a deputy editor of the Daily Caller, tweeted, “Cernovich memed #SickHillary into reality. Never doubt the power of memes.”"
- 3 To joke around. Internet, broadly, intransitive
"actually, it wasn't my mental functioning. i'm just meming."
Synonyms
All synonyms circulate memescreate memescultural elementcultural replicatorcultural unitdisseminate memes
Antonyms
ban memesignore memesreject parodysuppress memes
Example
"I only know the song because it was a meme."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "meme"?
Common synonyms include: circulate memes, create memes, cultural element, cultural replicator, cultural unit, disseminate memes.
How do you use "meme" in a sentence?
I only know the song because it was a meme.
How do you pronounce "meme"?
Pronounced /miːm/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Clipping of mimeme, equivalent to mime + -eme. Coined by British biologist Richard Dawkins in 1976 in his book The Selfish Gene. Shortened (after gene) from mimeme (compare English phoneme), anglicized as if from a noun derived from Ancient Greek μῑμέομαι (mīméomai) with the deverbal suffix -μα (-ma), from μῖμος (mîmos, “imitation, copy”). The concept was later applied to the Internet by Mike Godwin.
Etymology 2
From French mémé (“granny”).