folk dance
Americannoun
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a dance that originated among, and has been transmitted through, the common people.
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a piece of music for such a dance.
noun
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any of various traditional rustic dances often originating from festivals or rituals
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a piece of music composed for such a dance
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of folk dance
First recorded in 1905–10
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.
As we follow him, what seemed like a close look at a regional folk dance soon reveals itself as a magical realist journey that’s both beguiling and amusing.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
This 1898 divertissement by Marius Petipa, to the melodious music of Alexander Glazunov, is accented with moves shaped by Hungarian folk dance and has long been a staple of various classical ballet companies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
Other festival-goers joined hands in a circle for a folk dance.
From Barron's • Oct. 26, 2025
Morris dancing is a form of traditional English folk dance that takes a variety of styles depending on where the group has come from.
From BBC • Nov. 15, 2024
This is the first time I get to dance Tinikling, a folk dance that mimics a tikling bird hopping between stems of grass and running over tree branches.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
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.
