: 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
This ecology is woven into our folktales and culture.
—
Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
John Swansburg revisits the country’s founding folktale.
—Andrew Aoyama, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
The story, based on Venezuelan folktales, is exciting and thought-provoking.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
This relationship brings another level to the film, as Kotevska weaves in the titular folktale of Silyan, about another lonely man and his stork.
—Alissa Simon, Variety, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for folktale
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
John Swansburg revisits the country’s founding folktale.
—Andrew Aoyama, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
The story, based on Venezuelan folktales, is exciting and thought-provoking.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
This relationship brings another level to the film, as Kotevska weaves in the titular folktale of Silyan, about another lonely man and his stork.
—Alissa Simon, Variety, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for folktale
Cite this Entry
“Folktale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folktale. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
folktale
noun
folk·tale
-ˌtāl 
: a story made up and handed down by the common people
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
