folk song

American  

noun

• folk songs
  plural

1. 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.

2. a song of similar character written by a known composer.

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folk song British  

noun

1. a song of which the music and text have been handed down by oral tradition among the common people

2. a modern song which employs or reflects the folk idiom

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• folk songs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of folk song

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

folk song

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

“De Colores” is a traditional Mexican folk song that made its way to the Americas from Spain during the 16th century, and here Price is accompanied by the Memphis Mariachi.

From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026

It is named after the traditional Korean folk song about longing and separation, often dubbed South Korea's unofficial national anthem.

From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 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

This is an example of D Minor Pentatonic in the folk song “The Canoe Song.”

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin