Meaning & use
folk culture
Last updated
UK/ˈfəʊk ˌkʌltʃə/
US/ˈfoʊk ˌkʌltʃər/
Meaning
noununcountable
The traditional customs, music, stories and crafts of a small community, passed down over generations.
Grammar: Uncountable: folk culture is strong here.
Patterns
- study folk culture
Folk culture in the village includes songs and dances passed down from grandparents.
The museum celebrates the folk culture of the mountain region.
Folk culture tends to change slowly.
Common combinations
- traditional folk culture
- The festival keeps traditional folk culture alive.
- preserve folk culture
- They work to preserve folk culture.
- rural folk culture
- Rural folk culture includes harvest songs.
- folk culture and popular culture
- Folk culture and popular culture are often compared.
- a rich folk culture
- The region has a rich folk culture.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tradition
- Tradition is a single custom, while folk culture is a whole way of life.
- popular culture
- Popular culture is mass-produced, unlike folk culture, which is local.
- heritage
- Heritage includes everything inherited, not only folk customs.
Opposites
popular culturemass culture
Word family
Practice
Which is an example of folk culture?
Choose one answer.
Folk culture is local and traditional. The other options are modern mass-produced.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “folk culture”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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