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

The moniker is derived from a manipulation of Japanese folklore that became popular following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in eastern Japan that led to the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown, Frable said. —Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024

They have been associated with bad omens, according to English-language accounts of Japanese folklore. —James Doubek, NPR, 20 Nov. 2024

And then, or so this bit of folklore goes, the hunter is cured of buck fever. —Jack O’Connor, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024

According to Taiwanese rural folklore, figures spotted in yellow coats in the mountainous forests are not human, but ghosts who seek to lead the living astray. —Patrick Frater, Variety, 5 Nov. 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

folkloric

-ˌlȯr-ik

adjective

folklorist

-ˌlōr-əst 

-ˌlȯr-

noun