folk song: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to informal; common in cultural, musical, and everyday contexts.
Quick answer
What does “folk song” mean?
A traditional song passed down orally within a community, often reflecting its culture, history, or daily life.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A traditional song passed down orally within a community, often reflecting its culture, history, or daily life.
A song in a style imitating traditional folk music; a contemporary song with acoustic instrumentation and narrative lyrics, even if newly composed.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling and hyphenation are fluid in both. 'Folk song' and 'folksong' are both found. The compound 'folk music' is more common for the genre.
Connotations
In the UK, strongly associated with national and regional traditions (e.g., English, Scottish, Irish). In the US, associated with Appalachian, protest, and singer-songwriter movements.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in US discourse due to the prominence of the 1960s folk revival.
Grammar
How to Use “folk song” in a Sentence
to perform/play/sing a folk songto be a folk song about Xto collect/record folk songsto write/compose a folk songVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “folk song” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- [No standard verb form derived directly from 'folk song']
American English
- [No standard verb form derived directly from 'folk song']
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverb form]
American English
- [No standard adverb form]
adjective
British English
- The folk-song tradition in Yorkshire is particularly rich.
- He has a folk-song style of guitar playing.
American English
- She gave a folk-song performance at the rally.
- The album has a folk-song vibe.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in music industry contexts (e.g., 'folk song royalties').
Academic
Common in ethnomusicology, cultural studies, and history papers.
Everyday
Very common when discussing music, heritage, or local culture.
Technical
Used precisely in musicology to denote songs of oral tradition vs. art songs.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “folk song”
- Using 'folk song' to describe any acoustic guitar song (it should have a traditional or narrative element).
- Confusing 'folk song' with 'country song' (country is a specific commercial genre).
- Misspelling as 'folks song'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. While many are old and traditional, newly composed songs in the folk style are also called folk songs, especially if they follow the genre's conventions of storytelling and acoustic instrumentation.
A ballad is a type of folk song (or poetry) that specifically tells a story, often in a series of verses. All ballads can be folk songs, but not all folk songs are narrative ballads (some are work songs, dances, or lyric songs).
Yes, 'folksong' is an accepted variant, though 'folk song' (two words) and 'folk-song' (hyphenated) are equally common. Dictionaries often list all three.
Folk music is the broader genre or category. A folk song is a single, specific piece of music within that genre. You listen to folk music, but you sing a particular folk song.
A traditional song passed down orally within a community, often reflecting its culture, history, or daily life.
Folk song is usually neutral to informal; common in cultural, musical, and everyday contexts. in register.
Folk song: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfəʊk ˌsɒŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfoʊk ˌsɔːŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Not typically idiomatic; the term itself is literal]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'folk' as 'people' – a folk song is a 'people's song', belonging to a community.
Conceptual Metaphor
A FOLK SONG IS A LIVING HISTORY BOOK (it carries stories through time).
Practice
Quiz
Which of these is LEAST likely to be described as a 'folk song' in its core sense?