folk tale
Americannoun
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a tale or legend originating and traditional among a people or folk, especially one forming part of the oral tradition of the common people.
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any belief or story passed on traditionally, especially one considered to be false or based on superstition.
noun
Etymology
Origin of folk tale
First recorded in 1890–95
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But no: this has become a subgenre of its own, a kind of folk tale the news loves to tell.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2025
Sweet July’s first title, forthcoming in January, will be Roselle Lim’s Chinese folk tale “Celestial Banquet.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2024
The lavish folk tale draws from the song "When You Wish Upon a Star" from the 1940 cartoon film "Pinocchio," about a puppet wishing to become a real boy.
From Reuters ● Nov. 20, 2023
It seemed fitting that planning a trip around a centuries-old folk tale was more an act of creative interpretation than a strict adherence to a single text.
From New York Times ● Mar. 21, 2023
With some dozen exceptions, all of Andersen's Tales are based upon older stories, either upon some old folk tale or upon something that he ran across in his reading.
From Children's Literature A Textbook of Sources for Teachers and Teacher-Training Classes by Erle Elsworth Clippinger
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