Lore vs. Folklore

The difference is subtle, and in everyday use they overlap a lot—but there is a distinction:

Lore is the broader term.
It simply means a body of knowledge, traditions, or stories about a subject—often passed down over time. It doesn’t have to be cultural or traditional in a strict sense.

• Can apply to anything: “dragon lore,” “medical lore,” “Star Wars lore”
• Just means accumulated knowledge or backstory

Folklore is a specific type of lore.
It refers to the traditional stories, beliefs, customs, and practices of a particular culture or community, usually passed down orally.

• Includes myths, legends, fairy tales, superstitions, rituals
• Tied to real-world groups of people
• Example: “Irish folklore,” “Native American folklore”

In short:

• Lore = general knowledge or tradition about anything
• Folklore = cultural, traditional stories and beliefs of a people

A simple way to remember it:
All folklore is lore, but not all lore is folklore.