folk music

American  

noun

1. music, usually of simple character and anonymous authorship, handed down among the common people by oral tradition.

2. music by known composers that has become part of the folk tradition of a country or region.

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folk music British  

noun

1. music that is passed on from generation to generation by oral tradition Compare art music

2. any music composed in the idiom of this oral tradition

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folk music Cultural  

1. A kind of music originating from the ordinary people of a region or nation and continued by oral tradition. The ballad (see also ballad) is a typical form of folk music. Music is also called “folk” when it is made by artists and composers who are inspired by, or imitate, true folk music. Composers such as Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie are folk musicians of the second kind.

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Etymology

Origin of folk music

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

The song fuses Tamil folk music, Carnatic traditions, Western classical fugue and polka, with shifting tempos and finger snaps linking its contrasting sections.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Four times during the course of a nearly three-hour set of 27 songs — that included gospel, rock and Woody Guthrie-inspired American folk music — Springsteen stopped the show and spoke directly to the audience.

From Salon • May 29, 2026

If hip-hop is the folk music of the post-industrial age, then Slick Rick is it's Woody Guthrie.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Mustafa — the richly baritoned Toronto singer-songwriter whose 2024 LP “Dunya” drew wide praise — has become a significant figure straddling global folk music and activism.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2026

The terms "folk music" and "pop music" also have more than one meaning.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

• country music