Definition

A person who studies or gathers traditional stories, customs, and beliefs of a culture or community.

Example

The folklorist shared fascinating tales from the local community's history.

Conversation

Have you ever met a folklorist?

No, I haven't, but it sounds fascinating!

I just read about one who studies local legends.

That must be interesting! I'd love to hear some of those stories.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Folklorist → It is formed from "folk" (from Old English *folc*, meaning people or community) and "lore" (from Old English *lār*, meaning knowledge or teaching) combined with the suffix "-ist" (meaning a person who practices or is concerned with). A folklorist is a person who studies or is concerned with the knowledge and traditions of a community or people.

Memory Tip

Think of 'folk' as referring to the 'people' and 'lore' as their 'knowledge' — a folklorist is someone who studies the knowledge and traditions of the people.

Visually Confused Words