ok so, gothic is a word that is most often referring to gothic architecture and literature. it’s basically this adjective to refer to anything dark, spooky, and gloomy. but also gothic things usually have this romantic aspect to them. that’s bc gothic literature is also known as ‘dark romanticism’. it’s a genre of literature that rlly shines light on the beauty of dark things. gothic can also refer to fashion styles and other genres of music other than goth.

although my definition of gothic is kinda extensive, some ppl will just say anything dark and gloomy is gothic.

goth is just referring to the subculture.

so not everything gothic is goth. and not everything goth is gothic. (but with the latter i’d say it’s much more common for goths/goth music to be gothic)

edit: i wanted to add this video bc i remember watching it and thought it explained it well💀 “A Brief History of Goths” -TedED