Idiomer
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English · Word Candidate

meme

/miːm/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: memes · memeing · meming · memed

Sense 1

Meaning · English

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.

Noun

Examples

Examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Media, usually humorous, which is copied and circulated online with slight adaptations, such as basic pictures, video templates, etc.

Noun

Examples

He posted a meme that went viral within a few hours on social media.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To create and use humorous memes.

Verb

Examples

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!

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

To turn into a meme; to use a meme, especially to achieve a goal in real life.

Verb

Examples

Scott Greer, a deputy editor of the Daily Caller, tweeted, “Cernovich memed #SickHillary into reality. Never doubt the power of memes.”

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

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.

Is “meme” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.