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Synonyms

folklore

American  
[fohk-lawr, -lohr] / ˈfoʊkˌlɔr, -ˌloʊr /

noun

  1. the traditional beliefs, legends, customs, etc., of a people; lore of a people.

  2. the study of such lore.

  3. a body of widely held but false or unsubstantiated beliefs.

folklore British  
/ ˈfəʊkˌlɔː /

noun

  1. the unwritten literature of a people as expressed in folk tales, proverbs, riddles, songs, etc

  2. the body of stories and legends attached to a particular place, group, activity, etc

    Hollywood folklore

    rugby folklore

  3. the anthropological discipline concerned with the study of folkloric materials

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
folklore Cultural  

  1. Traditional stories and legends, transmitted orally (rather than in writing) from generation to generation. The stories of Paul Bunyan are examples of American folklore.

Other Word Forms

  • folkloric adjective
  • folklorist noun
  • folkloristic adjective

Etymology

Origin of folklore

1846; folk + lore 1; coined by English scholar and antiquary William John Thoms (1803–85)

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.

"The recording demonstrates how voice and performance can transform an everyday news event into a lasting piece of cultural folklore," it wrote.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Historically known as 'an Gabhar Fiáin' -- the wild goat -- the Old Irish Goat occupies a unique place in Irish folklore.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

And after both sides had chances, 101 seconds into overtime Hughes buried his shot to write his name into American sporting folklore.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

The Super Bowl indicator, a decades-old piece of Wall Street folklore, might be the worst form of prediction, but it’s weirdly one of the most accurate.

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

I realize how different and creepy a lot of Mexican folklore is.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

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.