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.

---

folk tale British  

noun

1. a tale or legend originating among a people and typically becoming part of an oral tradition

---

Etymology

Origin of folk tale

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

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

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

Executive Director Julie Perlin Lee told me they always try to sync up the space’s monthly story time with a topical theme, such as a winter Ukrainian folk tale in December.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2023

“There’s always been this folk tale that there was a Roman temple underneath the cathedral,” said Mathew Morris, excavation director for the University of Leicester’s Archaeological Services.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2023

I have founded him 'who sold tillage, and house, and goods,' upon something in 'The Red Pony,' a folk tale in Mr. Larminie's 'West Irish Folk Tales.'

From The Wind Among the Reeds by Yeats, W. B. (William Butler)