folk song

noun

: a traditional or composed song typically characterized by stanzaic form, refrain, and simplicity of melody

Examples of folk song in a Sentence

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.
There’s something about the honest expression of a folk song that speaks more to someone who is asking those questions. Alan Light, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025 Demonstrators in Sonoma County wine country sang along to Woody Guthrie folk songs. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025 There’s something about the honest expression of a folk song that speaks more to someone who is asking those questions. Alan Light, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025 There are references to a 16th-century Venetian playwright, an old American folk song, and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for folk song

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of folk song was in 1843

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Cite this Entry

“Folk song.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folk%20song. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

folk song

noun
: a traditional or composed song typically having stanzas, a refrain, and a simple melody

More from Merriam-Webster on folk song

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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