1
: traditional customs, tales, sayings, dances, or art forms preserved among a people
Paul Bunyan is a figure from folklore.
Like its predecessor, the game draws from elements of African folklore and spiritual beliefs.—
Megan Farokhmanesh
Megan Farokhmanesh2
: 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
In addition to the locals, people from all over Bavaria and beyond flocked to the small village of about 4,500 residents on Friday to watch the Maypole being erected — a custom that has been observed for centuries and is deeply rooted in Bavarian folklore.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
The title, by the way, refers to Ohm’s opinion on the Irish folklore about supernatural happenings that people take serious around the place.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
According to Appalachian folklore, this cake was traditionally a wedding delicacy made from layers brought individually by women in the community that were then stacked together.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2026
Emerging from boxing’s lower-weight divisions to a place atop eight separate weight classes—a feat no fighter in history has matched—Pacquiao’s story reads like folklore etched in sweat and sacrifice.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for folklore
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ABC News, 1 May 2026
The title, by the way, refers to Ohm’s opinion on the Irish folklore about supernatural happenings that people take serious around the place.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
According to Appalachian folklore, this cake was traditionally a wedding delicacy made from layers brought individually by women in the community that were then stacked together.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2026
Emerging from boxing’s lower-weight divisions to a place atop eight separate weight classes—a feat no fighter in history has matched—Pacquiao’s story reads like folklore etched in sweat and sacrifice.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for folklore
Cite this Entry
“Folklore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folklore. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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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