folk tale

American  

[fohk teyl] / ˈfoʊk ˌteɪl /

Or folktale

noun

1. a tale or legend originating and traditional among a people or folk, especially one forming part of the oral tradition of the common people.

2. any belief or story passed on traditionally, especially one considered to be false or based on superstition.

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folk tale British  

noun

1. a tale or legend originating among a people and typically becoming part of an oral tradition

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Etymology

Origin of folk tale

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

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

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

For kids, there’s the animated fantasy “The Monkey King,” based on the Chinese folk tale and featuring the voices of Jimmy O. Yang, Stephanie Hsu and BD Wong.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 26, 2023

In a high hamlet, a two-hour trek up a verdant slope beneath ice-clad Himalayan peaks, an argument erupted over a folk tale.

From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2023

The student will find footing on surer ground by following the process which exalts the dragon of the folk tale into the symbol of evil and primordial chaos.

From Myths of Babylonia and Assyria by Mackenzie, Donald Alexander