A traditional way of doing something in a particular culture or community that people follow naturally without thinking about written rules or laws.
From 'folk' (people) plus 'way' (method, path). The term was popularized in early 20th-century sociology to describe informal cultural norms that differ from formal laws.
Folkways explain why greeting rituals, eating habits, and personal space feel 'right' or 'wrong'—they're invisible scripts written by your culture that feel like nature but are completely learned. Breaking a folkway makes people uncomfortable long before you break any actual law.
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