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

See Examples For:

folk tale

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

Lately, she had been telling friends that understanding the current border crisis reminded her of an old folk tale about a group of blind men encountering an elephant.

From New York Times ● Feb. 18, 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

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 Clippinger, Erle Elsworth