folk

[fohk]

noun

1. (used with a plural verb),  Usually folks. people in general.

   Folks say there wasn't much rain last summer.

2. (used with a plural verb),  Often folks. people of a specified class or group.

   country folk; poor folks.

3. (used with a plural verb),  people as the carriers of culture, especially as representing the composite of social mores, customs, forms of behavior, etc., in a society.

   The folk are the bearers of oral tradition.

4. Informal.,  folks,

   1. members of one's family; one's relatives.

      All his folks come from France.

   2. one's parents.

      Will your folks let you go?

   Synonyms: tribe, clan, people, kin, kinfolk

5. Archaic.,  a people or tribe.

adjective

1. of or originating among the common people.

   folk beliefs; a folk hero.

2. having unknown origins and reflecting the traditional forms of a society.

   folk culture; folk art.

folk

/ fəʊk /

noun

1. (functioning as plural; often plural in form) people in general, esp those of a particular group or class

   country folk

2. informal,  (functioning as plural; usually plural in form) members of a family

3. informal,  (functioning as singular) short for folk music

4. a people or tribe

5. (modifier) relating to, originating from, or traditional to the common people of a country

   a folk song

Other Word Forms

• folkish adjective
• folkishness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of folk¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English folc; cognate with Old Saxon, Old Norse folk, Old High German folk ( German Volk )

Word History and Origins

Origin of folk¹

Old English folc ; related to Old Saxon, Old Norse, Old High German folk

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. just folks, (of persons) simple, unaffected, unsophisticated, or open-hearted people.

   He enjoyed visiting his grandparents because they were just folks.

see just folks.

Example Sentences

“Scarecrow” includes a Slash-composed cover of traditional folk number “O Death.”

From Los Angeles Times

It was a good place, run by decent, well-meaning people, but the average age of the folks living there was 85.

From Los Angeles Times

Plenty of folk at Westminster reckon today is the day her fate will be determined.

From BBC

Many folks were in some sort of costume, including me.

From Los Angeles Times

The first couple episodes are clever, funny and charmingly clumsy — if not too close to the bone for folks like us.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• community 
• family 
• group 
• people 
• public