Internet meme
Repeated joke format copied and parodied online
Meaning
It denotes a song, short phrase, image or odd behavior copied, remixed and parodied in large numbers online. It usually carries humor and insider recognition. It belongs to informal internet speech and is used mainly by younger forum and social network users.
Origin
The French source places the first hosts on forums in the 1990s and 2000s, with social networks taking over from the 2010s. Spread can be gradual or very fast, described as viral. The exact first use of the label is disputed. The source links its growth to zoomers and Generation Alpha on user-generated content platforms.
How it's used
People use it to name a specific template and to describe its circulation. It behaves as a countable noun with forms like a meme and internet memes. It does not inflect as a verb in this French sense except in derived English uses like memed.
Example
That catchphrase became an Internet meme and every feed had a parody by Friday.
Variants & related
French commonly shortens it to mème. Related terms named in the source include viral phenomenon and user-generated content. Image macros and catchphrase memes are subtypes, while a simple viral video without mass remix is a neighboring but different case.
Common misunderstandings
Outsiders call any popular video a meme, but the source requires mass repetition and variation. Another error is using it in a formal register where joke carries no ironic distance. Pronunciation follows local norms and is not a mark of authenticity.