Genere

Genere is a term with multiple related meanings used in different languages and disciplines. In Italian, it most often denotes a category or class of things, and it also has a precise scientific meaning as the taxonomic rank of genus in biology. In everyday language, it can refer to a broad sense of “kind” or “type,” as in a general classification of objects or concepts. In cultural and artistic contexts, genere refers to categories of creative works, such as cinema, literature, or music.

In the arts and humanities, the term is usually paired with a qualifier to specify the domain, for example genere letterario (literary genre) or genere cinematografico (film genre). Common genres include romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, drama, and comedy. The concept helps scholars and critics analyze patterns, conventions, and audience expectations within a body of works.

In biology, genere is the Italian equivalent of the rank genus. It denotes a group of related species and sits between family and species in the taxonomic hierarchy. An example is the genere Homo, which includes Homo sapiens among other species in the past or present classification. The plural form generi is used in some scientific or classical writings, though contemporary Italian often favors generi in everyday usage.

Etymology and related terms: genere derives from Latin genus, itself from Greek genos. In English, the corresponding terms are genus (biology) and genre (arts), with genre borrowed from French. The Italian use of genere thus links both ideas, with context determining whether the reference is to biological classification or cultural categorization.