folk Meaning & Definition
What Does Folk Mean?
Folk is used as a noun meaning people generally. It is also used to mean a certain kind, class, or group of people. As an adjective, it means originating or traditional with the common people of a country or region and typically reflecting their lifestyle.
Word Facts for Folk
| Part of speech | noun, adjective |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈfōk/ |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | phratry, tribe and kinfolk |
| Antonyms | ancestry, birth and descent |
| Plural | folks |
Folk Definition (Noun)
- people generally
- a certain kind, class, or group of people
old folks / just plain folk / country folk / media folk
- the persons of one's own family
- parents
- folk music
- 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
- a group of kindred tribes forming a nation : people
Folk as an Adjective
- originating or traditional with the common people of a country or region and typically reflecting their lifestyle
folk hero / folk music
- of or relating to the common people or to the study of the common people
folk sociology
Synonyms of Folk
Antonyms of Folk
Folk in a Sentence
There were a lot of folk in the streets.
Young folk, old folk, everybody come / To our little Sunday School, and have a lot of fun.
I need to call my folks back home.
folk psychology; folk linguistics
Young folk, old folk, everybody come, / To our little Sunday School and have a lot of fun.
old folks
just plain folk
country folk
media folk
folk hero
folk music
folk sociology
her folks have farmed that land for five generations
the working-class folk with no airs or pretentions
c'mon, folks, let's get to work
old folks / just plain folk / country folk / media folk
folk hero / folk music
Word Forms & Grammar
folk
folks
folk (countable and uncountable, plural folks)
folk (not comparable)
Words That Rhyme With Folk
Origin of Folk
Origin 1: Middle English, from Old English folc; akin to Old High German folc people
Origin 2: From Middle English folk, from Old English folc, from Proto-West Germanic *folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁-gós, from *pleh₁- (“to fill”).
Origin 3: Cognate with Saterland Frisian Foulk, West Frisian folk, Dutch volk, German Low German and German Volk, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish folk, Faroese and Icelandic fólk. Doublet of volk.
First Known Use
before 12th century
Pronouncing Folk
You say folk as /ˈfōk/. It has 1 syllable.
Questions People Ask About Folk
Is folk a noun or an adjective?
Folk is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as an adjective.
What is another word for folk?
Close synonyms of folk are phratry, tribe and kinfolk. See the full list of folk synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of folk?
The opposite of folk can be expressed with words like ancestry, birth, descent and extraction.
What is the plural of folk?
The plural of folk is folks.