meme

A meme is a unit of cultural information that spreads from person to person within a culture. The term was popularized by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in 1976 to describe how ideas, tunes, catchphrases, styles, and practices replicate, vary, and compete for attention in a manner analogous to genes in biological evolution.

In its broad sense, a meme can be any piece of cultural data that propagates through imitation and social transmission. In the digital age, memes are most often associated with internet phenomena—images, videos, phrases, or formats that are copied, remixed, and circulated across social media, forums, and messaging apps.

Memes spread through replication, variation, and selection. A meme’s appeal can depend on humor, relevance, clarity, and adaptability. Users alter the content to fit new contexts, creating countless variants that compete for visibility and engagement. Familiar templates, such as image macros and video remixes, provide reusable formats that accelerate spread.

Common forms include image macros with captions, short video clips or GIFs, phrases or slogans, and participatory challenges. Meme culture reflects social attitudes, current events, and inside jokes, and it often influences online discourse, marketing, and political commentary. Memes can enrich cultural conversation but may also propagate misinformation or copycat errors; their rapid, iterative nature makes them a dynamic feature of modern communication.