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Definition of meme

meme

/miːm/
meme

Adverb:memetically
•
Plural:memes
•
Adjective:memetic
•
Past Simple:memed
•
Past Participle:memed
•
Present Participle:memeing
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meme Lexical Profile

meme Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A humorous image, video, piece of text, or other media item that is copied, often with slight variations, and spread rapidly by internet users.

Example

"She shared a funny meme about Monday mornings in the office group chat."


2

An element of a culture or system of behavior passed from one individual to another by imitation or other non-genetic means.

Example

"In evolutionary biology and sociology, a catchy melody or fashion trend is considered a cultural meme."

• verb

1

To turn a person, event, or image into an internet meme, or to create and share internet memes.

Example

"Viewers immediately memed the actor's awkward facial expression during the awards ceremony."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for meme

• Rhymes for meme

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in 1976 by British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his book 'The Selfish Gene', shortened from Ancient Greek 'mimema' (that which is imitated) and modeled on the word 'gene'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Meme. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/meme
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