A meme is a virally transmitted image embellished with text, usually sharing pointed commentary on cultural symbols, social ideas, or current events. A meme is typically a photo or video, although sometimes it can be a block of text. When a meme resonates with many people, it's spread via social platforms, texting, and email. The more a meme is spread, the greater the cultural influence it has.

Here's a deeper look into what exactly a meme is, the different types of memes, and some meme examples.

Some a meme sticks around a while because it represents something timeless that continually rings true for people, such as parenthood. Other memes are specific to a specific event or idea.

The Origins of the Term 'Meme'

Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins coined the word "meme" (rhymes with "team") in his bestselling 1976 bookThe Selfish Gene. 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. The word meme came from the Greek word mimeme, which means imitated thing.

Decades later, Dawkins supported the appropriation of the word meme into the digital world. He said that the new meaning isn't that far from his original explanation.

Memes used to be the domain of 20-somethings. However, internet users of all ages and all levels of digital savviness have adopted memes to express their feelings.

What Makes a Meme

Memes are a worldwide social phenomenon. The more a meme resonates with people, the more they'll share it and the farther it will spread. Memes are usually funny, but often that humor is injected with wry political or social commentary.

Sometimes memes exist for shock value or to teach a life lesson. Other times a single photo or short video will generate hundreds of hilarious interpretations. Sometimes a meme will be appreciated by only a select group of people, and other times a meme will have near-universal appeal.

Here's a look at some popular meme categories and examples to give you a better idea of the breadth and scope of these viral statements.

A meme can be a still photograph or an animated GIF, as long as the content appeals to others in a shareable format.

General Humor Memes

Popular memes are often funny, ranging from silly humor to niche humor to more pointed political humor. Kids, parenting, pets, and everyday life offer endless meme material.

Often one funny image spurs a host of memes, as with this determined-looking toddler clenching his hand into a fist. The above meme mimics our determination on New Year's Eve to finally make positive changes.

The same image represents our feelings of satisfaction and winning when we receive an unexpected windfall.

Sometimes memes offer simple, funny humor most people can enjoy, such as this Pavlov joke:

Cute animals figure prominently in harmless-humor memes, such as these adorable ducklings:

Funny memes often appeal to specific groups, such as parents:

Sibling memes are a popular meme subgroup that appeals to many people:

Other classic and famous funny memes include:

• Grumpy Cat memes
• Planking memes
• Success Kid memes
• Distracted Boyfriend memes
• Chuck Norris Facts memes
• Michael Jordan memes
• Kermit the Frog memes
• Keyboard Cat memes
• Rickrolling memes
• Joseph Ducreux memes
• The Most Interesting Man in the World memes
• Keep Calm memes

Darker-Humored Memes

Some memes have pointed humor. These memes put forth an opinion, argue with others, take a provocative stance, or use darker subjects, such as the above meme that takes advantage of an unfortunate headline.

Other memes tackle more controversial subjects, such as the Area 51 raid plan:

Or the flat-Earth movement:

Other darker-humored memes include:

• Honey Badger memes
• Cash Me Ousside memes
• Angry German Kid memes
• Dogs Go to Heaven meme
• Woman Yelling at a Cat memes
• Sad Keanu memes
• Michael Jackson Eating Popcorn memes
• Shirtless Putin memes
• Scumbag Steve memes
• Condescending and sarcastic Willy Wonka memes

Social Memes

Social commentary colors many memes, touching upon subjects such as wine drinking, a hugely popular topic on the internet.

Often, memes tackle different takes on societal norms, such as memes about not wanting to have kids:

More social commentary memes include:

• Wine memes
• Flu memes
• Conspiracy Keanu memes
• First-World Problems memes
• That's None of My Business memes
• Check Your Privilege memes

Conversational Memes

In some cases, a meme achieves notoriety as a conversational expression. As in the above example, the phrase "Meanwhile in..." has created a slew of memes showing how life is somewhere else.

Other conversational memes include:

• Who Are You? memes
• Shots Fired memes 
• U Mad Bro? memes
• Catchphrase memes

World Event Memes

World events provide endless meme fodder, with humor that's sometimes pointed, sometimes silly, and sometimes painful. As in the above meme, social isolation periods generate thousands of memes, capitalizing on the dark humor of a shared experience.

The brief murder hornet scare is another example:

Brexit was a rich source of memes:

Superbowls provide endless meme fodder, as this 2019 Adam Levine halftime show meme shows:

Other current topic memes:

• Broom challenge memes
• LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Tinder memes
• Tiger King memes
• Don't Touch Your Face memes

TV Show Memes

Our favorite TV shows provide tons of meme material, such as the above example fromGame of Thrones. Other meme-TV show favorites includeThe Office:

More TV shows that generate memes include:

• Friends memes
• Big Bang Theory memes
• Parks & Recreation memes
• M*A*S*H memes

Memes Are Constantly Evolving

There's an endless variety of memes, ranging from mundane, everyday topics to critical life and world events. More are created and shared every day, and new material is constantly available.

If you are inspired by an image or video you come across, make your own meme with Meme Generator and see if it resonates with others. Visit Know Your Meme to research a meme or get inspiration.