gothic

Lately the word gothic has evolved into a classic stereotype for people dressing in black listening to death metal and black metal. It may mean any number of things. 1. Pertaining to the Goths, a Germanic Tribe. 2. From a Renaissance perspective. It pretty much means "rough" if used in that context. If you were to take classical and make it the complete opposite. There were different periods of gothic art and architecture around that time. You'll find most of it in Europe. 3. A species of noctuid moth. 4. A gothic novel. It was a British literary genre from the late 18th century to the 19th century. 5. In the late 20th century it became what people use now. Meaning "dark" and "gloomy." It developed into a stereotype from the music goth rock. Now the people are characterized as wearing all black, into things that may be considered more abstract and darker than what is normal, and listening to various types of metal and darkwave. 6. Sometimes associated with Satanism, though the two are very often not related. Put plainly, it has been taken from an art form into something that is used to confine and label people in one group. It's become one of the many labels such as "emo", "gangster", and "scene."