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

And Butler, the volcanic personality who’s been known to generate stories worthy of folklore with his competitive spirit, didn’t produce a new tale of his greatness, scoring just 11 points. —Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

They’re feared as rabies carriers, blamed for pandemics and cast as the villains of folklore. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025

That experience speaks to the heart of South of Midnight, a Southern gothic fantasy adventure game anchored by a soundtrack richly steeped in regional folklore. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2025

Siamese crocodiles are also creatures of Thai folklore, officials said. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 18 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for folklore

• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• backdoor
• before
• bookstore
• candour
• centaur
• claymore

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