folk song
Americannoun
-
a song originating among the people of a country or area, passed by oral tradition from one singer or generation to the next, often existing in several versions, and marked generally by simple, modal melody and stanzaic, narrative verse.
-
a song of similar character written by a known composer.
noun
-
a song of which the music and text have been handed down by oral tradition among the common people
-
a modern song which employs or reflects the folk idiom
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of folk song
First recorded in 1865–70
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.
He took out his guitar, started strumming, and soon created the folk song that would become an anthem for his small opposition group, Not In My Backyard Imperial.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 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
“Arirang” is the title of an ancient Korean folk song that is believed to be at least 600 years old and is still sung to this day.
From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2026
The title takes its name from a folk song about longing and separation that is often dubbed South Korea's unofficial national anthem.
From Barron's ● Mar. 21, 2026
He always jury-rigs a folk song onto his stories.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
