folklore

folklore — noun

1. the collection of stories, customs, beliefs, and traditions that a particular gr

1.nounB2
Definition

the collection of stories, customs, beliefs, and traditions that a particular group of people share and pass down to younger people, often by telling them rather than writing them down

Example

Anya's grandmother told her stories from Russian folklore about magical forest creatures.

folklore from [country/region]

According to local folklore, the old oak tree in the square grants wishes.

According to local folklore, [belief]

Common collocations
  • local folklore
  • Japanese / Irish / Russian / African folklore
  • folklore from [region/country]
  • according to folklore
  • a piece of folklore
  • folklore scholar
  • folklore tells us / says
Synonyms
  • folk tradition

    broader term covering customs and practices alongside stories

  • oral tradition

    emphasises how the material is passed down by speaking, not writing

  • mythology

    more specific; usually refers to stories about gods, heroes, and origins of the world

  • legend

    refers to individual traditional stories, not the whole body of traditions

Grammar Patterns

no article for general reference: Folklore tells us that…

a piece of folklore for a single item

Usage Note

Uncountable noun — do not use as 'a folklore' or 'folklores.' Instead use 'a folk tale' for a single story or 'a piece of folklore' for a single custom or belief.

Common Mistakes

I heard an interesting folklore about a ghost.
I heard an interesting folk tale about a ghost.
Folklore is uncountable and refers to the whole body of traditions, not one story.
The folklores of different countries are fascinating.
The folklore of different countries is fascinating.
Folklore is uncountable; use 'folk tales' or 'folk traditions' if you need a plural form.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Folklore is the broadest term, covering stories, customs, beliefs, songs, and dances passed down within a community, usually by word of mouth. Mythology is a narrower subset — it focuses specifically on stories about gods, goddesses, heroes, and the origins of the world (e.g. Greek mythology). A legend is a single traditional story that may have some historical basis (e.g. the legend of King Arthur). A folk tale is an individual story, often involving ordinary people or animals, told for entertainment or moral teaching. Tradition is the widest term, encompassing any custom or belief handed down across generations, not only stories. For example: 'Irish folklore includes leprechauns and fairy forts'; 'The myth of Persephone belongs to Greek mythology'; 'My grandmother told me a folk tale about a clever rabbit.'

folklore ↗mythology ↗legend ↗folk taletradition ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • according to folklore
  • in local folklore
  • folklore tells us
  • part of the folklore

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'folklore' was invented in 1846 by the English scholar William Thoms. He put together two older English words: 'folk' (meaning 'people') and 'lore' (meaning 'knowledge or teaching passed down from earlier times'). Before Thoms created this term, English had no single word for the traditional stories and customs of ordinary people.