plural folk or folks
1
folk or folks plural
: people generally
2
folk or folks plural
: a certain kind, class, or group of people
old folks
just plain folk
country folk
media folk
3
4
: folk music
5
: the great proportion of the members of a people that determines the group character and that tends to preserve its characteristic form of civilization and its customs, arts and crafts, legends, traditions, and superstitions from generation to generation
6
archaic
: a group of kindred tribes forming a nation : people
1
: originating or traditional with the common people of a country or region and typically reflecting their lifestyle
folk hero
folk music
2
: of or relating to the common people or to the study of the common people
folk sociology
Synonyms
Examples of folk in a Sentence
Noun
Folks say that house is haunted.
Some folks think the law should be changed.
a home for old folks
the distinctive speech of folks from the South
I'll be spending the holidays with my folks.
His folks gave him everything a kid could want.
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Williams, WIRED, 7 Dec. 2024
His column focuses on the blessings and burdens of advancing age — and how some folks are challenging the stigma associated with older adults.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
Stuart Munro, BostonGlobe.com, 19 July 2022
The songwriter in question is Phoebe Kreutz, darling of the New York City anti-folk movement of the early ‘00s.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2022
See all Example Sentences for folk 
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.
Noun
And there’s a question mark over whether any normal folks really care about the latest ruse to get people upgrading—AI in phones.
—Andrew Williams, WIRED, 7 Dec. 2024
His column focuses on the blessings and burdens of advancing age — and how some folks are challenging the stigma associated with older adults.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
As has been its wont for many years now, over its three days the festival offers a lineup that mixes folk and roots (however understood) and non-folk artists.
—Stuart Munro, BostonGlobe.com, 19 July 2022
The songwriter in question is Phoebe Kreutz, darling of the New York City anti-folk movement of the early ‘00s.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2022
See all Example Sentences for folk
Articles Related to folk
Dictionary Entries Near folk
Cite this Entry
“Folk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folk. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
folk
2 of 2 adjective
: of, relating to, or originating among the common people of a country or region
folk customs
folk music
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share