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
Megan Farokhmanesh2
: 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
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
In Finnish folklore, the northern lights are created when a mythical fox races across the Arctic tundra, its tail sweeping snow into the sky and setting it ablaze.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Exhumed also examines historical incidents like George Washington's death in 1799, along with Mary Shelley writing her seminal 1818 novel Frankenstein, to explore topics including mummification, folklore and the advancement of medicine through corpses.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Her work explores the tension between family and freedom, grief, and how folklore shapes families and communities.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Slavic folklore about vampires suggests one partial answer to the especial fear of the vulnerable.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for folklore
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Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Exhumed also examines historical incidents like George Washington's death in 1799, along with Mary Shelley writing her seminal 1818 novel Frankenstein, to explore topics including mummification, folklore and the advancement of medicine through corpses.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Her work explores the tension between family and freedom, grief, and how folklore shapes families and communities.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Slavic folklore about vampires suggests one partial answer to the especial fear of the vulnerable.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for folklore
Cite this Entry
“Folklore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folklore. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
adjective
-ˌlȯr-ik
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