What makes a meme a meme?

And these are the key components of what makes a meme a meme. While an outright definition of a meme is hard to nail down, the term is most often associated with an image or video that portrays a particular concept or idea that is then usually spread through online social platforms.

What is a meme & how does it spread?

While he had no idea of its future internet-related context, he used the word meme to describe an idea, behavior, or style that rapidly spreads from person to person in a culture. In his book, he likened a meme's spread to that of a virus.

How did Dawkins define a meme?

Dawkins defined a meme as a cultural unit that spreads from person to person, much as genes spread through reproduction. The term meme itself comes from the Greek word mimema, which means “that which is imitated.” Dawkins’s book shows that examples of memes go back centuries.

What is a'meme' in social media?

Merriam-Webster defines "meme" as "an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture" or "an amusing or interesting item (such as a captioned picture or video) or genre of items that is spread widely online, especially through social media."