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
Synonyms
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
Like its predecessor, the game draws from elements of African folklore and spiritual beliefs.
—
Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024
While casting a spell through witches, fantasy and Italian folklore, the project is said to touch on universal themes of grief, community, love and family.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
Our ancestors are stereotyped by the West, who turned our culture into folklore.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2024
The exhibition presents Castro’s creative practice as an exploration of themes as broad as cultural identity, mortality, the relationship humans have with animals and his reinterpretation of folklore and motifs from around the world.
—Kate Matthams, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for folklore 
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.
Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024
While casting a spell through witches, fantasy and Italian folklore, the project is said to touch on universal themes of grief, community, love and family.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
Our ancestors are stereotyped by the West, who turned our culture into folklore.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2024
The exhibition presents Castro’s creative practice as an exploration of themes as broad as cultural identity, mortality, the relationship humans have with animals and his reinterpretation of folklore and motifs from around the world.
—Kate Matthams, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for folklore
Articles Related to folklore
Dictionary Entries Near folklore
Cite this Entry
“Folklore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folklore. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share