folk
Americannoun
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folks
plural
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(used with a plural verb) Usually folks. people in general.
Folks say there wasn't much rain last summer.
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(used with a plural verb) Often folks. people of a specified class or group.
country folk; poor folks.
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(used with a plural verb) people as the carriers of culture, especially as representing the composite of social mores, customs, forms of behavior, etc., in a society.
The folk are the bearers of oral tradition.
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Informal. folks,
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members of one's family; one's relatives.
All his folks come from France.
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one's parents.
Will your folks let you go?
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Archaic. a people or tribe.
adjective
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of or originating among the common people.
folk beliefs; a folk hero.
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having unknown origins and reflecting the traditional forms of a society.
folk culture; folk art.
idioms
noun
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(functioning as plural; often plural in form) people in general, esp those of a particular group or class
country folk
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informal (functioning as plural; usually plural in form) members of a family
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informal (functioning as singular) short for folk music
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a people or tribe
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(modifier) relating to, originating from, or traditional to the common people of a country
a folk song
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of folk
before 900; Middle English; Old English folc; cognate with Old Saxon, Old Norse folk, Old High German folk ( German Volk )
Explanation
Folk are regular people. Country folk can be suspicious of fancy city people, while city folk tend to act a little snobby toward country dwellers. The plural form of this word, folks, is often used for groups of ordinary people. You could say that folks in New York seem more accepting of your eccentricities than the folks back home in your small town. You can also refer to your parents as your folks, or use it as an informal, friendly form of address: "Hi, folks! I'll be your waiter today." The Old English root is folc, "common people, nation, or troop."
Vocabulary lists containing folk
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.
See Examples For:
Veteran folk singer Neil Martin said nobody during the Troubles would have "thought it would have been safe".
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
His attitude has been you can never include too much pop, folk, Latin music and film music onto the L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
ARIRANG, named after a South Korean folk song, includes mostly English lyrics but explores themes including Korean identity after the band's hiatus for mandatory military service.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
“Right now I’m a solo artist, which is kind of fun. I’m up there like a folk troubadour, singing the songs, reading from the book, and making some well-timed joke,” he told Salon.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
It reminded her of the iron keys Conjure folk put on their altars for protection or to make way for new things.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Those folks might still be booing when they hear what Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said saltily postgame: “Give me another option ... I can’t just say change him to low-leverage. I have to have options.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The folks in nearby Nodaway County have been in an uproar over a proposal to build a data center that would occupy 500 acres.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
OK, before I let you go, is there any PSA you want to give folks right now about whether they should be consuming lettuce?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
In one instance, an employee seeking information about shipping a product wrote, “Of course, I could ask several folks, but you are the best. Even if you don’t work here anymore.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
“Don’t know why more folks don’t stop by.”
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
