A genre is a category of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. It is a way of categorizing artistic, musical, or literary compositions based on a particular style, form, or content. Genres can be aesthetic, rhetorical, communicative, or functional, and they form by conventions that change over time as cultures invent new genres and discontinue the use of old ones. Works can fit into multiple genres by borrowing and recombining conventions, and some genres may have rigid, strictly adhered-to guidelines, while others may show great flexibility.
Genres can be found in literature, music, film, and other forms of art or entertainment. For example, some common literary genres include fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. In film, genres are determined by the subject, setting, or plot of the story, and they can overlap. Some examples of film genres include adventure, comedy, horror, and science fiction.
Genres can also be used to categorize music, such as jazz, salsa, or rock. In music, genres are determined by musical style.
Overall, genres are a way of categorizing and organizing different forms of communication based on shared conventions and characteristics.
