folk
Americannoun
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folks
plural
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(used with a plural verb) Usually folks. people in general.
Folks say there wasn't much rain last summer.
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(used with a plural verb) Often folks. people of a specified class or group.
country folk; poor folks.
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(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.
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Informal. folks,
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members of one's family; one's relatives.
All his folks come from France.
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one's parents.
Will your folks let you go?
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Archaic. a people or tribe.
adjective
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of or originating among the common people.
folk beliefs; a folk hero.
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having unknown origins and reflecting the traditional forms of a society.
folk culture; folk art.
idioms
noun
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(functioning as plural; often plural in form) people in general, esp those of a particular group or class
country folk
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informal (functioning as plural; usually plural in form) members of a family
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informal (functioning as singular) short for folk music
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a people or tribe
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(modifier) relating to, originating from, or traditional to the common people of a country
a folk song
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing folk
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.
See Examples For:
Veteran folk singer Neil Martin said nobody during the Troubles would have "thought it would have been safe".
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
ARIRANG, named after a South Korean folk song, includes mostly English lyrics but explores themes including Korean identity after the band's hiatus for mandatory military service.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Megan Romer likes to spend her free time sewing costumes for school plays, picking blackberries in her backyard in rural Cayuga County, N.Y., and watching her partner play the fiddle in folk bands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
For decades, the city of Los Angeles and private foundations have invested in preserving the towers, the 102-year-old masterpiece of folk art built by Italian immigrant Sabato “Simon” Rodia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Much folk, popular, and modern music, gives instructions in English or in the composer's language.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
He said that three of the behind-the-scenes folks unofficially supporting him are CEOs, while “an ex-boss or two,” rounds out the gang.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Many of them are part of the “stealthy wealthy,” folks who make great sums of money with little fanfare or flash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Even if folks aren’t thinking about the election, she said, “they’re thinking about the system that is making it harder for them and they’re noticing the differences.”
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
Some folks want to delay claiming Social Security until they are 67 or even 70 in order maximize their monthly benefits and reduce reliance on investment withdrawals later in life.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Most folks should mind their own business, Rose-Ivy thought.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
