Izraz '''''folk muzika''''' potiče iz XIX19. veka kao izraz za muzički [[folklor]].<ref name="Heritage3">{{Cite web-lat |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/folk+music|title=folk music |accessdate=14. marta 2010 |author= |date= |work= The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition, by Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009|publisher=Dictionary.com, LLC}} {{en}}</ref><ref name="Random House">{{Cite web-lat |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/folk+music|title=folk music |accessdate=14. marta 2010 |author= |date= |work= Based on the Random House Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2010|publisher=Dictionary.com, LLC}} {{en}}</ref> Definiše se na više načina — kao [[muzika]] koja je obično jednostavnog karaktera i čiji je [[autor]] nepoznat, a koja se u narodu prenosi usmenim putem,<ref name="Random House"/> ili kao muzika poznatih [[kompozitor]]a koja je postala deo folklorne tradicije u nekoj zemlji ili regionu.<ref name="Random House"/> Od sredine XX20. veka izraz se koristi da opiše [[Popularna muzika|popularnu]] savremenu muziku u stilu tradicionalne folklorne muzike.<ref name="Heritage4">{{Cite web-lat |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/folk+music|title=folk music |accessdate=14. marta 2010 |author= |date= |work= The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, by Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009|publisher=Dictionary.com, LLC}} {{en}}</ref><ref name="Etimology">{{Cite web-lat |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/folk+music|title=folk music |accessdate=14. marta 2010 |author= Douglas Harper |date= |work= Online Etymology Dictionary|publisher=Dictionary.com, LLC}} {{en}}</ref>
