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

“Edelweiss,” mistaken at times for an actual Austrian folk song instead of an American creation, hasn’t always been a welcome olive branch.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

While some members gravitate toward the album’s first track, “Body to Body,” which includes snippets of the traditional Korean folk song “Arirang” in it,” the more romantic “Swim” is pushed forward.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

It might be time to write a folk song about the demise of City Section basketball using the music of Peter, Paul and Mary and the new title, “Where Have All the Players Gone?”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 4, 2026

Her father, Michael, said they chose her name as a nod to Australia, where the beloved folk song "Waltzing Matilda" is sung as an unofficial national anthem.

From Barron's • Dec. 18, 2025

This is an example of F Major Pentatonic in the folk song “Great Big House.”

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin