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
The pair spent their childhood summers camping here, collecting whale bones and learning from their father about regional folklore, including tales from the nearby whaling station at Bahía del Águila, which processed 4,000 cetaceans between 1906 and 1920.
—Mark Johanson, Outside, 14 Mar. 2026
The singer shared several photos from the famed Long Pond Studios, where Dessner worked with Taylor Swift on her culture-shifting LPs folklore and evermore.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2026
Here are some other examples from the sporting world that have been written into folklore.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The ‘Doomsday Fish’ Nickname Oarfish have historically been linked in folklore to earthquakes and tsunamis.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for folklore
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.
Mark Johanson, Outside, 14 Mar. 2026
The singer shared several photos from the famed Long Pond Studios, where Dessner worked with Taylor Swift on her culture-shifting LPs folklore and evermore.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2026
Here are some other examples from the sporting world that have been written into folklore.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The ‘Doomsday Fish’ Nickname Oarfish have historically been linked in folklore to earthquakes and tsunamis.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 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 17 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
