What does "lore" mean?
All the facts and traditions about a particular subject that have been accumulated over time through education or experience.
Lore
/lɔː/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: All the facts and traditions about a particular subject that have been accumulated over time through education or experience.
- Grammar: lore is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: traditional knowledge, ancient wisdom, archetypal myth, archetypal pattern.
- Useful contrasts: codified knowledge, fact, formal knowledge.
- Usage evidence: And here I stand, with all my lore, poor fool, no wiser than before.
How to use "lore"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lore" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lore" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lore" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lore" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lore" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "traditional knowledge" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lore", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 All the facts and traditions about a particular subject that have been accumulated over time through education or experience. countable, uncountable
"the recondite lore of the Ancient Egyptians"
- 2 The region between the eyes and nostrils of birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
"He’s sticky and encrusted on one side below his beak and amongst the lores around his eyes by the pips and juices he has dined upon, the pith and pulp of feeding."
- 3 knowledge gained through tradition or anecdote wordnet
- 4 The backstory, especially for a character or setting, created around a fictional universe. countable, slang, uncountable
"Lore documents reveal that she was backstabbed by her subordinate, who wanted to become king, and she feels vengeful about it."
- 5 The anterior portion of the cheeks of insects.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 The backstory, especially for a character or setting, created around a fictional universe.; Trivia shared by a person about themself. Internet, broadly, countable, slang, uncountable
"It's Ashot lore that I used to have a priv where I posted pictures of weird animals I found on the street."
- 7 Workmanship. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"In her right hand a rod of peace shee bore, / About the which two serpents weren wound; / Entrayled mutually in lovely lore, / And by the tailes together firmely bound […]"
Verb
- 1 simple past and past participle of lose form-of, obsolete, participle, past
- 2 simple past and past participle of lose, used in the sense of "left" form-of, obsolete, participle, past
"Neither of them she found where she them lore."
- 3 simple past and past participle of lese form-of, obsolete, participle, past
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"And here I stand, with all my lore, poor fool, no wiser than before."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lore"?
Common synonyms include: traditional knowledge, ancient wisdom, archetypal myth, archetypal pattern, backstories, bibliography.
How do you use "lore" in a sentence?
And here I stand, with all my lore, poor fool, no wiser than before.
How do you pronounce "lore"?
Pronounced /lɔː/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English lore, from Old English lār, from Proto-West Germanic *laiʀu, from Proto-Germanic *laizō, from *laizijaną (“to teach”). Cognate with Dutch leer, German Lehre, Swedish lära and Danish lære. See also learn.
Etymology 2
From Latin lorum (“thong, strap”).