folktale

noun

folk·​tale ˈfōk-ˌtāl 

: a characteristically anonymous, timeless, and placeless tale circulated orally among a people

Examples of folktale in a Sentence

West African folktales that continue to be passed from generation to generation through storytelling.

Recent Examples on the Web

In Mexico, Yamel’s mother tells scary folktales to caution her against real-life dangers. — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026

This folktale opens by describing a venerable old farming family whose only daughter has just married. — Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026

The designer hinted that it’s inspired by old French folktale fairy tales from the late 1800s, which have become a popular era to draw from for the modern Provençal woman. — Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026

The body horror of birth gives way to the fairy-tale horror of early motherhood, which McBride, a translator based in Barcelona, strews with literary Easter eggs from folktales and Victorian poetry. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for folktale

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• derail
• detail
• dovetail
• email

Kids Definition

folktale

noun

folk·​tale -ˌtāl 

: a story made up and handed down by the common people