folklore

noun

folk·​lore ˈfōk-ˌlȯr 

1

: traditional customs, tales, sayings, dances, or art forms preserved among a people

Paul Bunyan is a figure from folklore.

Like its predecessor, the game draws from elements of African folklore and spiritual beliefs.

—Megan Farokhmanesh

2

: a branch of knowledge that deals with folklore

a specialist in folklore

3

: an often unsupported notion, story, or saying that is widely circulated

the folklore about the health risks of computers

folkloric

ˈfōk-ˌlȯr-ik 

adjective

folklorish

ˈfōk-ˌlȯr-ish 

adjective

folklorist

ˈfōk-ˌlȯr-ist 

noun

folkloristic

ˌfōk-ˌlȯr-ˈi-stik 

adjective

Synonyms of folklore

• mythology
• tradition
• lore

Examples of folklore in a Sentence

The coyote appears in a great deal of Native American folklore.

the rich folklore of Louisiana

He can't tell the difference between fact and folklore.

Recent Examples on the Web

John Henry, one of the most famous characters in American folklore, was in fact a Black man who died while part of a prison work gang excavating a railway tunnel in western Virginia in the early 1870s. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026

The National Weather Service says there are two versions of the folklore. — Ray Petelin, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026

In that spirit, too, Knight’s film borrows much from the library of fantasy and folklore, but with enough of its own exuberance and imagination to feel like a new standard. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026

Set on the island of Cyprus in 1882, the film blends horror and folklore and revolves around Eleni, an outcast painter whose three children die in a freak accident. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for folklore

• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• backdoor
• before
• bookstore
• candour
• centaur
• claymore

Kids Definition

folklore

noun

folk·​lore ˈfōk-ˌlō(ə)r 

-ˌlȯ(ə)r

: customs, beliefs, stories, and sayings of a people handed down from generation to generation

folkloric

-ˌlȯr-ik

adjective

folklorist

-ˌlōr-əst 

-ˌlȯr-

noun