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 )

Explanation

Folk are regular people. Country folk can be suspicious of fancy city people, while city folk tend to act a little snobby toward country dwellers. The plural form of this word, folks, is often used for groups of ordinary people. You could say that folks in New York seem more accepting of your eccentricities than the folks back home in your small town. You can also refer to your parents as your folks, or use it as an informal, friendly form of address: "Hi, folks! I'll be your waiter today." The Old English root is folc, "common people, nation, or troop."

Example Sentences

Outside the hall, musicians played folk songs on a small stage.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

At home, some fans are debating how Korean the new album Arirang really is - despite being named after a beloved folk song, which is sampled in the hip-hop laden opener, Body to Body.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

The 10 songs on “The Line of Time and the Plane of Now” — each recorded in only one take — mix folk, soul and jazz, radiating innocence.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

After all, it is a snappy cowpuncher variation on Woody Guthrie’s “Dusty Old Dust/So Long It’s Been Good to Know Yuh” with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, the folk legend’s old musical partner, singing along.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

This book is a record of all the afternoons the two of us spent in the glade together with the charmed folk.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

Related Words

• community
• family
• group
• people
• public