folk song
Americannoun
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folk songs
plural
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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.
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a song of similar character written by a known composer.
noun
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a song of which the music and text have been handed down by oral tradition among the common people
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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.
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
The Rodgers and Hammerstein show tune, written in the style of an Austrian folk song, may not be a cornerstone of the Mar-a-Lago soundtrack, but it’s a mainstay of U.S.-China diplomacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 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
It was a striking prelude to "Body to Body", the album's first full track, interwoven with Korea's most iconic folk song and the album's namesake, Arirang.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2026
I turn up the music—a moody folk song I don’t recognize.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
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.
