folklore

noun

folk·​lore ˈfōk-ˌlȯr 

1

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

The coyote appears in much of Native American folklore.

Paul Bunyan is a figure from folklore.

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

• legend
• legendry
• lore
• myth
• mythology
• mythos
• tradition

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

There are also superstitions and folklore attached to the date. —Alyson Krueger, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024

In the fields of visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression, the African American influence has been paramount. —Melissa Noel, Essence, 6 Feb. 2024

An Elusive American Artist: Joan Jonas’s maximalist, category-defying work combines video, performance, folklore, sculpture and ecology. —Max Berlinger Stefan Ruiz, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024

Through Chinese folklore, the movie deals with a child experiencing a loss of a parent. —Akruti Babaria, Parents, 5 Mar. 2024

Some have their foundations in mythology and astrology, some in legend and folklore. —Popular Science, 14 Mar. 2024

Combining centuries-old Jewish folklore with the then-new medium of cinema, Paul Wegener and Carl Boese’s pioneering horror film draws its inspiration from a legend about a life-sized clay figure — a golem — that came to life to protect the Jews of Prague. —Katie Rife, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024

The film plays with his fascination with texture, sound and folklore. —Callum McLennan, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024

When asked to describe the series, Kim told Netflix this is an epic fantasy set in a world inspired by Asian and Indigenous folklore, culture, and legend. —Dana Feldman, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

folklorist

-ˌlōr-əst 

-ˌlȯr-

noun