folklore

[fohk-lawr, -lohr]

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

/ 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

folklore

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

• folkloristic adjective
• folklorist noun
• folkloric adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of folklore¹

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

Example Sentences

Remove the veil of folklore, and the plot isn’t too different from Oliphant’s career as an unrestrained cartoonist, whose satirical illustrations drew the ire of power-hungry politicians and like-minded megalomaniacs all over the world.

From Salon

And death follows in books about talking corpses, cemetery folklore and the darkest days of World War II. Here’s a sampling of this fall’s bounty.

From Los Angeles Times

It was just a few months ago that Alexander Isak wrote himself into club folklore after scoring against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final to help end the club's 70-year wait for a domestic trophy.

From BBC

‘K-pop Demon Hunters,’ an American-made film, has gained a huge audience in South Korea, thanks to its nods to Korean folklore, pop culture and habits.

From Los Angeles Times

"People have engaged strongly with our six suggested themes, and within these have suggested a wide range ideas, from engineering achievements to folklore and mythology to transport," Ms Cleland said.

From BBC

Related Words

• custom 
• fable 
• legend 
• myth 
• mythology 
• superstition 
• tradition 
• wisdom