Usually folks. (used with a plural verb) people in general: Folks say there wasn't much rain last summer.
Often folks. (used with a plural verb) people of a specified class or group: country folk; poor folks.
(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.
folks,Informal.
members of one's family; one's relatives: All his folks come from France.
one's parents: Will your folks let you go?
Archaic. a people or tribe.
adjective
of or originating among the common people: folk beliefs; a folk hero.
having unknown origins and reflecting the traditional forms of a society: folk culture; folk art.
Idioms for folk
just folks, Informal. (of persons) simple, unaffected, unsophisticated, or open-hearted people: He enjoyed visiting his grandparents because they were just folks.
Origin of folk
before 900; Middle English; Old English folc; cognate with Old Saxon, Old Norse folk,Old High German folk (German Volk)
SYNONYMS FOR folk
4 kinfolk, kin, relations, people; clan, tribe.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR folk ON THESAURUS.COM
Words nearby folk
foliose, -folious, folio verso, folium, folivore, folk, folk art, folk dance, Folkestone, Folketing, folk etymology
Many folks who have lived in the area for a long time are likely to recall prior storms that they weathered just fine, and figure they can survive whatever the next one brings as well.
Hurricane Laura is the strongest storm to hit Louisiana in more than a century|Sara Chodosh|August 28, 2020|Popular Science
Now, the government agency says only folks displaying symptoms should seek a coronavirus test.
The CDC’s new COVID-19 testing guidelines could make the pandemic worse|Sara Kiley Watson|August 27, 2020|Popular Science
I’m not sure many folks in Hollywood would be excited at that, so you might want to think twice about that.
Full Transcript: Sean Spicer on ‘The Carlos Watson Show’|Daniel Malloy|August 26, 2020|Ozy
All those folks who sacrificed and overcame so much in their own times because they wanted something more, something better for their kids.
‘He is clearly in over his head’: Read Michelle Obama’s full speech denouncing Donald Trump|kdunn6|August 18, 2020|Fortune
“It’s taken how extreme this disease is to highlight things that have always been challenges for some folks in our region,” Greene said.
Coronavirus Hit Latinos Harder Thanks to a Perfect Storm of Disparities|Maya Srikrishnan|August 12, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Phonetic, made-up lyrics are another venerable tradition of folk music, and “pa-rum-pa-pa-pum” is iconic of the genre.
Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing.|Michael Tomasky|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The folk memory of medieval community life had been wiped out by the industrial revolution.
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas|Clive Irving|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At this point, he became Tom Sawyer, letting his musical compatriots—and the folk tradition—help paint his musical fence.
Digging the Gold in Dylan’s ‘Basement’|Malcolm Jones|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I moved to Washington in 1988 with the folk etymology of lobbyist firmly in mind.
Up to a Point: In Defense of Lobbyists|P. J. O’Rourke|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And on the other are the folk, numbers unknown, who would pretty much say to Alexander, WTF are you talking about?
Eben Alexander Has a GPS for Heaven|Patricia Pearson|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But look you here, my son; folk who acts hasty, as you've done, they often make other people anxious—often enough.
Jim Davis|John Masefield
Some of our folk are almost out of their minds about it, and declare you to be either a brigand in disguise or a spy.
Dead Souls|Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol
But, if you don't mind, there are other folk I would like to see, too!
The Romantic Lady|Michael Arlen
Say not, What have we to do with folk across the waters; have we not matter enough for thought in our own land?
Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland|Olive Schreiner
"Yes, yes; we are Madersley folk," said the young man, now turning and speaking eagerly to Fortune.
A Little Mother to the Others|L. T. Meade
British Dictionary definitions for folk
folk
/ (fəʊk) /
nounpluralfolkorfolks
(functioning as plural; often plural in form)people in general, esp those of a particular group or classcountry folk
(functioning as plural; usually plural in form)informalmembers of a family
(functioning as singular)informal short for folk music
a people or tribe
(modifier)relating to, originating from, or traditional to the common people of a countrya folk song
Derived forms of folk
folkish, adjectivefolkishness, noun
Word Origin for folk
Old English folc; related to Old Saxon, Old Norse, Old High German folk