plural folk or folks
1
folk or folks plural
: people generally
2
folk or folks plural
: a certain kind, class, or group of people
old folks
just plain folk
country folk
media folk
3
4
: folk music
5
: the great proportion of the members of a people that determines the group character and that tends to preserve its characteristic form of civilization and its customs, arts and crafts, legends, traditions, and superstitions from generation to generation
6
archaic
: a group of kindred tribes forming a nation : people
1
: originating or traditional with the common people of a country or region and typically reflecting their lifestyle
folk hero
folk music
2
: of or relating to the common people or to the study of the common people
folk sociology
Synonyms
Examples of folk in a Sentence
Noun
Folks say that house is haunted.
Some folks think the law should be changed.
a home for old folks
the distinctive speech of folks from the South
I'll be spending the holidays with my folks.
His folks gave him everything a kid could want.
Recent Examples on the Web
Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Earbuds or headphones that block out sound are another essential folks should pack to protect their ears, according to the University of Texas Health Austin.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Since the release of their 1970 debut, Gentle Giant embodied prog at its most visionary: a mischievous blend of renaissance polyphony, jazz interplay, psychedelic folk, and—well, yes, raucous rock’n’roll.
—Ernesto Lechner, SPIN, 11 Apr. 2024
Steve Christensen, Khruangbin’s longtime producer, explained it to me like this: Just about every day, he gets hit up on Instagram by folks asking how to achieve a particular Khruangbin sound.
—Ryan Bradley MacLeod Andrews Emma Kehlbeck Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Alan Murray: Leadership Next is powered by the folks at Deloitte who, like me, are exploring the changing rules of business leadership and how CEOs are navigating this change.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
So why keep folks up so late, especially East Coasters?
—NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Creole folk with French names—Derouen, Boyancé or Buyincé, depending on the generation.
—Brooklyn White, Essence, 9 Apr. 2024
The troupe, which included boys and girls, was there to distribute water bottles to thirsty church folk during the march.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2024
Stuart Munro, BostonGlobe.com, 19 July 2022
The songwriter in question is Phoebe Kreutz, darling of the New York City anti-folk movement of the early ‘00s.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2022
The Moscow-born and Bronx-raised singer/songwriter/pianist has been performing for 20 years now, starting in the anti-folk scene in New York’s East Village.
—Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 July 2022
Merrifield sought instead to explore folk magic through the material objects that the practitioners themselves had left behind.
—Geoff Manaugh, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2019
This year, the event will feature more folk dancing groups, Plevrakis said, and guests can enjoy a DJ on Friday and Sunday, plus a live band on Saturday.
—Christine Condon, baltimoresun.com, 13 June 2019
After Carly and Martina, indie band Half-Alive and folk musician Liza Anne finished off the series for the day.
—Elena Weissmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3 July 2018
Programs such as soccer matches, a live animal show, free kids' activities, a book fair, folk art, and crafts, souvenirs and novelty items for sale will round out the festivities.
—Mark Holan/special To Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, 26 Aug. 2017
Classical musicians usually refer to their instrument as a violin, and most folk players call it a fiddle.
—Michael Austin, chicagotribune.com, 20 June 2017
Noun
Drew isn’t subtle in wanting to puncture the insidious claim that women, trans folks and any and every minority — not to mention zoomers writ large — have killed comedy.
—Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Earbuds or headphones that block out sound are another essential folks should pack to protect their ears, according to the University of Texas Health Austin.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Since the release of their 1970 debut, Gentle Giant embodied prog at its most visionary: a mischievous blend of renaissance polyphony, jazz interplay, psychedelic folk, and—well, yes, raucous rock’n’roll.
—Ernesto Lechner, SPIN, 11 Apr. 2024
Steve Christensen, Khruangbin’s longtime producer, explained it to me like this: Just about every day, he gets hit up on Instagram by folks asking how to achieve a particular Khruangbin sound.
—Ryan Bradley MacLeod Andrews Emma Kehlbeck Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Alan Murray: Leadership Next is powered by the folks at Deloitte who, like me, are exploring the changing rules of business leadership and how CEOs are navigating this change.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
So why keep folks up so late, especially East Coasters?
—NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Creole folk with French names—Derouen, Boyancé or Buyincé, depending on the generation.
—Brooklyn White, Essence, 9 Apr. 2024
The troupe, which included boys and girls, was there to distribute water bottles to thirsty church folk during the march.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2024
Adjective
As has been its wont for many years now, over its three days the festival offers a lineup that mixes folk and roots (however understood) and non-folk artists.
—Stuart Munro, BostonGlobe.com, 19 July 2022
The songwriter in question is Phoebe Kreutz, darling of the New York City anti-folk movement of the early ‘00s.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2022
The Moscow-born and Bronx-raised singer/songwriter/pianist has been performing for 20 years now, starting in the anti-folk scene in New York’s East Village.
—Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 July 2022
Merrifield sought instead to explore folk magic through the material objects that the practitioners themselves had left behind.
—Geoff Manaugh, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2019
This year, the event will feature more folk dancing groups, Plevrakis said, and guests can enjoy a DJ on Friday and Sunday, plus a live band on Saturday.
—Christine Condon, baltimoresun.com, 13 June 2019
After Carly and Martina, indie band Half-Alive and folk musician Liza Anne finished off the series for the day.
—Elena Weissmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3 July 2018
Programs such as soccer matches, a live animal show, free kids' activities, a book fair, folk art, and crafts, souvenirs and novelty items for sale will round out the festivities.
—Mark Holan/special To Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, 26 Aug. 2017
Classical musicians usually refer to their instrument as a violin, and most folk players call it a fiddle.
—Michael Austin, chicagotribune.com, 20 June 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'folk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English folc; akin to Old High German folc people
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 6
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of folk was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing folk
Articles Related to folk
Dictionary Entries Near folk
Cite this Entry
“Folk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folk. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
folk
2 of 2 adjective
: of, relating to, or originating among the common people of a country or region
folk customs
folk music
More from Merriam-Webster on folk
Nglish: Translation of folk for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of folk for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about folk
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