folktale

noun

folk·​tale ˈfōk-ˌtāl How to pronounce folktale (audio)
: 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
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.
Oliver Park’s directorial debut is based on the Jewish folktale about the female demon Abyzou, which (believe it or not) happens to be perfect fodder for a horror film set at a Hasidic funeral home in Brooklyn. Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025 Described as a gritty neo-noir folktale, the film is set in rural Missouri and turns on a young man who struggles to keep his family together in the midst of a tragedy. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025 Meanwhile, Freudians and evolutionary psychologists trawled folktales for evidence to shore up their theories. Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 Later, the look became incorporated in folktales as the attire of grim reapers. Claire Wang, NBC news, 12 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for folktale

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of folktale was in 1850

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Folktale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folktale. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

folktale

noun
folk·​tale -ˌtāl How to pronounce folktale (audio)
: a story made up and handed down by the common people

More from Merriam-Webster on folktale

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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