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
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
See All Example Sentences for folklore
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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
See All Example Sentences for folklore
Cite this Entry
“Folklore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folklore. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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
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