Meanings
nounfolk music (usually uncountable, plural folk musics)
plural folk musics
- uncountableusuallyAny genre of music originating from the ethnic community of a specific region, often passed down through oral tradition, without recorded songwriters and possessing a clear purpose or social function.
- uncountableusuallyAny contemporary music in the style of traditional folk music, especially a specific genre of originally American popular music that draws on Anglo-American musical forms.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe traditional and typically anonymous music that is an expression of the life of people in a community
Similar
Broader
popular musicpopular music genre
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Arabic مُوسِيقَى فُلْكْلُورِيَّة
- مُوسِيقَى فُلْكْلُورِيَّة (mūsīqā fulklūriyya)music originating from a specific region
Bulgarian наро́дна му́зика, фолкло́рна му́зика
- наро́дна му́зика (naródna múzika)music originating from a specific region
- фолкло́рна му́зика (folklórna múzika)music originating from a specific region
Chinese Mandarin 民間音樂 /民间音乐, 民間音樂 /民间音乐
- 民間音樂 /民间音乐 (mínjiān yīnyuè)music originating from a specific region
- 民間音樂 /民间音乐 (mínjiān yīnyuè)contemporary music in traditional style
Czech lidová hudba
- lidová hudbamusic originating from a specific region
Danish folkemusik
- folkemusikmusic originating from a specific region
Dutch volksmuziek, folk
- volksmuziekmusic originating from a specific region
- folkcontemporary music in traditional style
- wereldmuziekcontemporary music in traditional style
- folkmuziekcontemporary music in traditional style
Finnish kansanmusiikki, etnomusiikki
- kansanmusiikkimusic originating from a specific region
- etnomusiikkicontemporary music in traditional style
- folkmusiikkicontemporary music in traditional style
French folk, musique folk
- folkmusic originating from a specific region
- musique folkmusic originating from a specific region
German Volksmusik, Weltmusik
- Volksmusikmusic originating from a specific region
- Weltmusikcontemporary music in traditional style
Greek παραδοσιακή μουσική
- παραδοσιακή μουσική (paradosiakí mousikí)music originating from a specific region
Hindi लोक संगीत
- लोक संगीत (lok saṅgīt)music originating from a specific region
Hungarian népzene
- népzenemusic originating from a specific region
Icelandic þjóðlagatónlist
- þjóðlagatónlistmusic originating from a specific region
Indonesian lagu rakyat
- lagu rakyatmusic originating from a specific region
Japanese 民族音楽, フォークソング
- 民族音楽 (minzoku ongaku)music originating from a specific region
- フォークソング (fōkusongu)music originating from a specific region
Korean 민속 음악, 포크송
- 민속 음악 (minsok eumak)music originating from a specific region
- 포크송 (pokeusong)music originating from a specific region
Malay lagu rakyat
- lagu rakyatmusic originating from a specific region
Norwegian Bokmål folkemusikk
- folkemusikkmusic originating from a specific region
Polish muzyka ludowa, folk
- muzyka ludowamusic originating from a specific region
- folkcontemporary music in traditional style
Portuguese música tradicional, música folclórica
- música tradicionalmusic originating from a specific region
- música folclóricamusic originating from a specific region
- música folkcontemporary music in traditional style
- folkcontemporary music in traditional style
Romanian muzică folk, muzică populară
- muzică folkmusic originating from a specific region
- muzică popularămusic originating from a specific region
- muzică folkcontemporary music in traditional style
- muzică etnocontemporary music in traditional style
- etno-muzicăcontemporary music in traditional style
Russian наро́дная му́зыка, фолькло́рная му́зыка
- наро́дная му́зыка (naródnaja múzyka)music originating from a specific region
- фолькло́рная му́зыка (folʹklórnaja múzyka)music originating from a specific region
- фолк (folk)contemporary music in traditional style
- фолк-му́зыка (folk-múzyka)contemporary music in traditional style
Slovak ľudová hudba
- ľudová hudbamusic originating from a specific region
Spanish música folklórica, folk música
- música folklóricamusic originating from a specific region
- folk músicamusic originating from a specific region
Swedish folkmusik, folkmusik
- folkmusikmusic originating from a specific region
- folkmusikcontemporary music in traditional style
- folkcontemporary music in traditional style
Tagalog musikang bayan
- musikang bayanmusic originating from a specific region
Thai ดนตรีโฟล์ก
- ดนตรีโฟล์กmusic originating from a specific region
Turkish halk müziği
- halk müziğimusic originating from a specific region
Ukrainian наро́дна му́зика, фолькло́рна му́зика
- наро́дна му́зика (naródna múzyka)music originating from a specific region
- фолькло́рна му́зика (folʹklórna múzyka)music originating from a specific region
Urdu لوک مُوسِیقِی
- لوک مُوسِیقِی (lok mūsīqī)music originating from a specific region
Vietnamese dân ca, nhạc dân gian
- dân camusic originating from a specific region
- nhạc dân gianmusic originating from a specific region
- âm nhạc dân gianmusic originating from a specific region
Cite this entry
APA
folk music. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/folk%20music
MLA
“folk music.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/folk%20music. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “folk music,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/folk%20music.
Source: folk music on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.