plural folk or folks
1
folk or folks plural
: people generally
2
folk or folks plural
: a certain kind, class, or group of people
old folks
just plain folk
country folk
media folk
3
4
: folk music
5
: the great proportion of the members of a people that determines the group character and that tends to preserve its characteristic form of civilization and its customs, arts and crafts, legends, traditions, and superstitions from generation to generation
6
archaic
: a group of kindred tribes forming a nation : people
1
: originating or traditional with the common people of a country or region and typically reflecting their lifestyle
folk hero
folk music
2
: of or relating to the common people or to the study of the common people
folk sociology
Synonyms
Examples of folk in a Sentence
Noun
Folks say that house is haunted.
Some folks think the law should be changed.
a home for old folks
the distinctive speech of folks from the South
I'll be spending the holidays with my folks.
His folks gave him everything a kid could want.
Recent Examples on the Web
Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 24 Apr. 2024
These folks are just coming into their earning potential.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 24 Apr. 2024
As folks held Zoom meetings and ran back and forth between legislative offices over the last few days, one sentiment surfaced with mathematical consistency:
If one kid is allowed to change his mind and pull out, aren’t all the other kids going to want to do that as well?
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024
Attention, Quinta Brunson: Bette Midler would like to be added to the roll call of famous folks who've walked the halls of Abbott Elementary.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 22 Apr. 2024
In its co-working space Zen Cafe in Lagos, Uchendu brings young people together with older folk to create intergenerational safe spaces.
—Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2024
Before there was the controversial Detroit sign along Interstate 94 to welcome visitors to the city for the 2024 NFL Draft, there was the Uniroyal Tire — also on I-94, but in Allen Park, closer to Metro Airport — which has been greeting folks to the area for decades.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
Attendees can honor folks who have touched their lives.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2024
About 14,000 folks showed up Saturday night to see McGraw’s concert at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 20 Apr. 2024
Stuart Munro, BostonGlobe.com, 19 July 2022
The songwriter in question is Phoebe Kreutz, darling of the New York City anti-folk movement of the early ‘00s.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2022
The Moscow-born and Bronx-raised singer/songwriter/pianist has been performing for 20 years now, starting in the anti-folk scene in New York’s East Village.
—Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 July 2022
Merrifield sought instead to explore folk magic through the material objects that the practitioners themselves had left behind.
—Geoff Manaugh, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2019
This year, the event will feature more folk dancing groups, Plevrakis said, and guests can enjoy a DJ on Friday and Sunday, plus a live band on Saturday.
—Christine Condon, baltimoresun.com, 13 June 2019
After Carly and Martina, indie band Half-Alive and folk musician Liza Anne finished off the series for the day.
—Elena Weissmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3 July 2018
Programs such as soccer matches, a live animal show, free kids' activities, a book fair, folk art, and crafts, souvenirs and novelty items for sale will round out the festivities.
—Mark Holan/special To Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, 26 Aug. 2017
Classical musicians usually refer to their instrument as a violin, and most folk players call it a fiddle.
—Michael Austin, chicagotribune.com, 20 June 2017
Noun
The album was a return to mainstream country music for Parton after doing mainly folk, bluegrass, and pop-country records in the 90s and early 2000s.
—Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 24 Apr. 2024
These folks are just coming into their earning potential.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 24 Apr. 2024
As folks held Zoom meetings and ran back and forth between legislative offices over the last few days, one sentiment surfaced with mathematical consistency:
If one kid is allowed to change his mind and pull out, aren’t all the other kids going to want to do that as well?
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024
Attention, Quinta Brunson: Bette Midler would like to be added to the roll call of famous folks who've walked the halls of Abbott Elementary.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 22 Apr. 2024
In its co-working space Zen Cafe in Lagos, Uchendu brings young people together with older folk to create intergenerational safe spaces.
—Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2024
Before there was the controversial Detroit sign along Interstate 94 to welcome visitors to the city for the 2024 NFL Draft, there was the Uniroyal Tire — also on I-94, but in Allen Park, closer to Metro Airport — which has been greeting folks to the area for decades.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
Attendees can honor folks who have touched their lives.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2024
About 14,000 folks showed up Saturday night to see McGraw’s concert at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 20 Apr. 2024
Adjective
As has been its wont for many years now, over its three days the festival offers a lineup that mixes folk and roots (however understood) and non-folk artists.
—Stuart Munro, BostonGlobe.com, 19 July 2022
The songwriter in question is Phoebe Kreutz, darling of the New York City anti-folk movement of the early ‘00s.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2022
The Moscow-born and Bronx-raised singer/songwriter/pianist has been performing for 20 years now, starting in the anti-folk scene in New York’s East Village.
—Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 July 2022
Merrifield sought instead to explore folk magic through the material objects that the practitioners themselves had left behind.
—Geoff Manaugh, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2019
This year, the event will feature more folk dancing groups, Plevrakis said, and guests can enjoy a DJ on Friday and Sunday, plus a live band on Saturday.
—Christine Condon, baltimoresun.com, 13 June 2019
After Carly and Martina, indie band Half-Alive and folk musician Liza Anne finished off the series for the day.
—Elena Weissmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3 July 2018
Programs such as soccer matches, a live animal show, free kids' activities, a book fair, folk art, and crafts, souvenirs and novelty items for sale will round out the festivities.
—Mark Holan/special To Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, 26 Aug. 2017
Classical musicians usually refer to their instrument as a violin, and most folk players call it a fiddle.
—Michael Austin, chicagotribune.com, 20 June 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'folk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to folk
Dictionary Entries Near folk
Cite this Entry
“Folk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folk. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
folk
2 of 2 adjective
: of, relating to, or originating among the common people of a country or region
folk customs
folk music
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