genre (n.)

In SOCIOLINGUISTICS, DISCOURSE ANALYSIS and STYLISTICS, the generalization of a term well established in artistic and literary criticism for an identifiable category of literary composition (e.g. poetry, detective story). The extended use refers to any formally distinguishable VARIETY that has achieved a level of general recognition, whether in speech or writing, such as commercial advertising, jokes, and sermons. A genre imposes several identifiable characteristics on a use of language, notably in relation to subject-matter, purpose (e.g. narrative, allegory, satire), textual structure, form of argumentation, and level of formality. Subgenres can also be identified, as with types of novel or types of news story.