Meme vs. Mere — What's the Difference?

A meme ( MEEM) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, or practices, that can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena with a mimicked theme.

Being nothing more than what is specified

An element of a culture or system of behaviour passed from one individual to another by imitation or other non-genetic means.

Considered apart from anything else

An image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users, often with slight variations.

Small; slight

A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.

(Obsolete) Pure; unadulterated.

An image or short video clip, often accompanied by a humorous saying or popular catchphrase, that is transmitted virally, especially on social media.

A small lake, pond, or marsh

A humorous saying or popular catchphrase that is transmitted virally, especially as a caption for such an image or video clip.

Just, only; no more than, pure and simple, neither more nor better than might be expected.

(originally) Any unit of (originally cultural) information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another in a comparable way to the transmission of genes.

(obsolete) Pure, unalloyed .

(Internet) Media, usually humorous, which is copied and circulated online with slight adaptations, such as basic pictures, video templates, etc.

(obsolete) Nothing less than; complete, downright .

(Internet) A specific instance of a meme, such as an image macro or a video, often with humorous superimposed text.

Boundary, limit; a boundary-marker; boundary-line.

Something not to be taken seriously; a joke.

A body of standing water, such as a lake or a pond. More specifically, it can refer to a lake that is broad in relation to its depth. Also included in place names such as Windermere.

Granny; nana

(obsolete) mayor and {{en}}.

To create and use humorous memes.

A Maori war-club.

To turn into a meme; to use a meme, especially to achieve a goal in real life.

To limit; bound; divide or cause division in.

To joke around.

To set divisions and bounds.

A cultural unit (an idea or value or pattern of behavior) that is passed from one generation to another by nongenetic means (as by imitation);

(cartography) To decide upon the position of a boundary; to position it on a map.

A pool or lake.

A boundary.

A mare.

To divide, limit, or bound.

Unmixed; pure; entire; absolute; unqualified.

Only this, and nothing else; such, and no more; simple; bare; as, a mere boy; a mere form.

A small pond of standing water

Being nothing more than specified;

Apart from anything else; without additions or modifications;