Meme
Meme
An online trend or piece of culture — often videos or images — that spreads as more and more people imitate it.
In Simple Terms
A meme is a trend involving images, videos, phrases, or other content that spreads online as more and more people imitate it. For example, when everyone on social media starts copying a specific dance video or a catchy phrase and posting their own version, that's a meme in action. What makes memes distinct is that people don't just watch them — they actively imitate and repost them, which is exactly what makes the trend grow bigger and bigger.
Behind the Name
The word "meme" was coined by a British biologist. He took a Greek word meaning "something imitated" and shortened it so it would sound like "gene," the term for a unit of heredity. The idea captures how unique videos and images get imitated online and spread from person to person, almost like genes being passed along.
Take a Closer Look!
A meme is a piece of culture or a trend on the internet — images, videos, text, and more — that spreads as many people imitate it.
What sets memes apart is that they're not just shared as-is.
As it gets imitated, people often add their own twist, parody, or spin, remaking it into something slightly different before passing it along, which lets it keep evolving as it spreads.
In simple terms, think of it as an online "running joke" or a shared bit of fun that everyone gets in on together.
Thanks to smartphones and social media, a specific dance, a unique song, or an image with a distinctive expression can spread around the world in a very short time.
What starts as people playfully imitating and reposting a trending video can even grow into a full-blown social movement.
Because memes spread so easily, companies sometimes use them as a marketing tool.
By offering a unique bit of content featuring their own character or service and getting users to imitate it, a brand can get its message in front of a large audience without spending any money on advertising.