folk music

noun

: the traditional music of the people in a country or region

Irish folk music

also : a type of popular music that is based on traditional music and that does not use electric instruments

Examples of folk music in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With energetic folk music, members of the lively seven-piece band swapped instruments, skipped around the stage, ventured out into the crowd and inspired the audience to sing along. —Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026

This year’s Veteran Era Category, which honors artists that came to musical prominence before 1980, was awarded to bluegrass and folk music pioneers The Stanley Brothers, Ralph and Carter Stanley. —Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 20 Mar. 2026

Splayed out across Bulgarian folk music, trance beats, bruxaria atmospheres, samba, and even bits of nueva ola, Free Spirits feels dialed all the way up. —Maria Nenet Barrios, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026

The 2026 Hall of Fame Class also includes Kelly Barr, classical music; Denise Crosby, journalism; Leslie Hunt, popular and progressive music; Stanley Konopka, classical music; Mary Beth McCarthy, choral music; and Juel Ulven, folk music. —Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026