Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

folk medicine

/ˌfoʊk ˈmɛdəs(ə)n/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.10 in modern English

Syllables: folk me-di-cine
IPA: /ˌfoʊk ˈmɛdəs(ə)n/

24

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

3

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Traditional medical practices developed and used by non-physicians, typically involving customary homespun techniques and medicinal remedies derived from native plants.

Uncountable

noun

A particular medicinal remedy used in such traditional medical practices.

Countable

Example Sentences

"Holonyms: complementary medicine, integrative medicine, traditional medicine"
"Near-synonyms: traditional medicine (often synonymous but includes non-layperson skills), indigenous medicine (almost synonymous but is not applied to the folk medicine of non-Indigenous groups)"
"He learned medicine and surgery "from executioners, bathkeepers, gypsies, midwives, and fortune tellers and incidentally acquired an unusual knowledge of folk-medicine and a permanent taste for low company.""
"Aromatherapy is a big business, and its roots run deep in folk medicine."
"A folk medicine traditionally used to treat depression is as effective as standard anti-depressant drugs and has fewer side-effects, according to a new study."

Etymology

From folk (“believed or transmitted by the common people; not academically correct or rigorous”) + medicine.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌfoʊk ˈmɛdəs(ə)n/
British English: /ˌfəʊk ˈmɛd(ɪ)s(ɪ)n/

Usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Medicine.

Inflected Forms

folk medicines (plural) folk-medicine (alternative)

Phrases

herbal medicine medicine man medicine woman

Frequently Paired Words

herbal medicine medicine man medicine woman nostrum scientific medicine

Synonyms

traditional medicine indigenous medicine

Questions

How do you pronounce folk medicine?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌfoʊk ˈmɛdəs(ə)n/.
What does folk medicine mean?: Traditional medical practices developed and used by non-physicians, typically involving customary homespun techniques and medicinal remedies derived from native plants.
Where does folk medicine come from?: From folk (“believed or transmitted by the common people; not academically correct or rigorous”) + medicine.

How to pronounce folk medicine

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “folk medicine”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌfoʊk ˈmɛdəs(ə)n/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “folk medicine”.
Repeat and practice — Say “folk medicine” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.