Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun philosophy Any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.
  • noun philosophy A self-propagating unit of cultural evolution having a resemblance to the gene (the unit of genetics).
  • noun Internet, slang A quiz or survey that is copied from one webpage or online journal to another, each participant filling in his or her personal answers.
  • noun Internet, slang A thought, idea, joke, or concept that spreads online, often virally. Can be in the form of an image, a video, an email, an animation, or music.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun 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)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Shortening (modeled on gene) of mimeme, from Greek mimēma, something imitated, from mimeisthai, to imitate; see mimesis.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Coined by Richard Dawkins, 1976 in the book, The Selfish Gene. Modelled after gene, from Ancient Greek μίμημα (mimema, "imitation, copy"), influenced by memory and French même ("same").

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Examples

  • I hope my classicist friends will forgive me if I abbreviate mimeme to meme* If it is any consolation, it could alternatively be thought of as being related to ‘memory’, or to the French word meme.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Recovering the lost English language: 2007

  • When Richard Dawkins coined the word meme he spoke about a soup of human culture where cultural units leap from brain to brain by processes of interpretation and imitation.

    Rajiv Naresh: Meme Wars and the Death of the Underground Rajiv Naresh 2012

  • When Richard Dawkins coined the word meme he spoke about a soup of human culture where cultural units leap from brain to brain by processes of interpretation and imitation.

    Rajiv Naresh: Meme Wars and the Death of the Underground Rajiv Naresh 2012

  • Dawkins first came to prominence with his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, which popularised the gene-centered view of evolution and introduced the term meme, helping found the field of memetics.

    Archive 2007-11-25 Valleys Mam 2007

  • Dawkins first came to prominence with his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, which popularised the gene-centered view of evolution and introduced the term meme, helping found the field of memetics.

    Can religious indoctrination be classed as child abuse? Valleys Mam 2007

  • Note: Techmeme founder Gabe Rivera says he doesn't think that the term meme-tracker defines any kind of meaningful category of products, and that the word is

    mathewingram.com/work 2008

  • It's not a meme, before anyone uses the term, as a meme is an idea that develops and mutates.

    Is MacHeist's Tweetblast an example of how advertisers will destroy Twitter? Jonathan 2009

  • My quote would have been, "do they have to ask you for your papers in a German accent?". aff it wasn't just snl ... the meme is all over the interwebs. still, it's funny.

    Quote of the Week « PubliCola 2010

  • What makes it a meme is the corollary that the F-22 is militarily irrelevant.

    Wonk Room » F-22 Killed By Seven-Meme Voltron 2009

  • For what a meme is and the rules that go along with it, check out my last meme post here.

    Archive 2008-07-01 Melissa 2008

  • The following is an edited transcript of her conversation with “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal about her down-the-rabbit-hole effort to purchase one of the most sought-after ticker symbols right now — MEME, a reference to the volatile “meme stocks” whose price movements are often driven by retail investor enthusiasm and hype.

    Marketplace - Business news and economic stories for everyone. Kai Ryssdal 2023

Comments

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  • Coined by Richard Dawkins.

    September 21, 2007

  • the widespread misuse of this term on the web is probably a meme unto itself.

    and pronounced, I believe, as meem. not mehm, not mimi, people: meem.

    oh, so many rants, so little time...

    September 21, 2007

  • i feel like i just got dissed.

    September 21, 2007

  • How do you say it?

    September 21, 2007

  • Dissed why, because you coined a variant? Madeupical words are encouraged. I imagine colleen will be ok with memesta, as long as it's pronounced meemsta as opposed to, say, rhyming with lunesta :-)

    September 21, 2007

  • oh, meem, of course. there is no question about that. i'm just hoping i'm not part of the "widespread misuse." :!

    September 21, 2007

  • Widespread Misuse. Good band name. ;-)

    September 22, 2007

  • Actually, 82, I thought memesta was clever! I'm absolutely in favor of madeupical words, as John says -- my issue is with the people who... how to put it? I think I must turn to the words of a man greater than I: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

    September 22, 2007

  • You mean like people who say meme all the time, and don't really know what it means? Why, that would be absolutely, totally, and in all other ways, inconceivable.

    September 22, 2007

  • Inconceivable!

    September 22, 2007

  • Whoops: delayed page refresh. Uselessness beat me to the reference recognition comment.

    *cool points demerit*

    September 22, 2007

  • :D

    September 22, 2007

  • Dan Dennett talked about memes and dangerous ideas at TED 2002

    September 21, 2008

  • not a fan of this word.

    November 16, 2008

  • Not a fan of it myself... till I saw this.

    March 6, 2009

  • I don't use it all the time -- just as often as appropriate. I find it quite handy.

    March 6, 2009

  • An internet-wide inside joke.

    May 3, 2016