folk

American  

[fohk] / foʊk /

noun

1. (used with a plural verb)  Usually folks. people in general.

   Folks say there wasn't much rain last summer.

2. (used with a plural verb)  Often folks. people of a specified class or group.

   country folk; poor folks.

3. (used with a plural verb)  people as the carriers of culture, especially as representing the composite of social mores, customs, forms of behavior, etc., in a society.

   The folk are the bearers of oral tradition.

4. Informal.  folks,

   1. members of one's family; one's relatives.

      All his folks come from France.

   2. one's parents.

      Will your folks let you go?

   Synonyms:

   tribe , clan , people , kin , kinfolk

5. Archaic.  a people or tribe.

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adjective

1. of or originating among the common people.

   folk beliefs; a folk hero.

2. having unknown origins and reflecting the traditional forms of a society.

   folk culture; folk art.

idioms

1. just folks,  (of persons) simple, unaffected, unsophisticated, or open-hearted people.

   He enjoyed visiting his grandparents because they were just folks.

folk British  

/ fəʊk /

noun

1. (functioning as plural; often plural in form) people in general, esp those of a particular group or class

   country folk

2. informal  (functioning as plural; usually plural in form) members of a family

3. informal  (functioning as singular) short for folk music

4. a people or tribe

5. (modifier) relating to, originating from, or traditional to the common people of a country

   a folk song

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folk More Idioms  

1. see just folks.

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Other Word Forms

• folkish adjective
• folkishness noun

Etymology

Origin of folk

before 900; Middle English; Old English folc; cognate with Old Saxon, Old Norse folk, Old High German folk ( German Volk )

Example Sentences

There were some funny folks who got up onstage, but Cash shouted out to them, “You don’t need to be funny! This is just clearing!”

From Salon

“Despite local families and activists getting there first, nine anti-trans folks testified first,” she noted.

From Salon

“While those folks concentrated in the assets are feeling a lot of pain, the macro implications look pretty minimal,” said Bob Elliott, chief executive of Unlimited Funds.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bower described the “gothy folk, black metal” music he would play as he sat in the makeup chair, which would get faster and more hardcore as they progressed.

From Los Angeles Times

Nearly all televisions have small, tinny speakers that make it difficult to hear dialogue, especially for some of us older folk.

From Barron's

Related Words

• community
• family
• group
• people
• public