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

The title takes its name from a folk song about longing and separation that is often dubbed South Korea's unofficial national anthem.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

It was a striking prelude to "Body to Body", the album's first full track, interwoven with Korea's most iconic folk song and the album's namesake, Arirang.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

“Arirang” is the title of an ancient Korean folk song that is believed to be at least 600 years old and is still sung to this day.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

Scratched on the paper is the voice of a woman singing the French folk song 'Au clair de la lune, mon ami Pierrot’.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall