What does the word “lore” mean?

Yesterday, ASAP Rocky was spotted in a full look from the Bottega Veneta Pre-Spring 2025 collection during the Footwear News Achievement Awards in New York. Typically, red carpet looks are entirely provided by a specific brand, and therefore do not include more personal styling details—but not in this case. ASAP Rocky, in fact, spiced up his otherwise understated outfit with a belt featuring an oversized buckle (one of the classic elements of the iconic Y2K hip-hop look) shaped like a word: Lore. This choice was not random, as the word has recently appeared frequently in memes and humorous TikTok videos, quietly infiltrating our social feeds. Rocky’s decision to wear this belt buckle is more than just a nod to internet culture; it highlights how "lore" has transcended niche online communities to become part of the mainstream pop culture lexicon. But what does "lore" mean, and how did this word, rooted in medieval tradition, make its way into TikTok slang and now fashion?

On TikTok and across the internet, the word "lore" is used as a synonym for background or contextual information about a person (but also an object or an imaginary universe) or any past story that has influenced or shaped it. In the era of online sharing and storytelling, everyone and everything has a bit of lore. Of course, as the term is used humorously, it often refers to stories that are eccentric, obscure, or seemingly random: a strange childhood memory, an odd family story, an unusual hobby, or a little-known fact from someone’s past can all be considered part of their "lore." Yet, "lore" did not originate as a TikTok trend; its roots lie deep in the English language and narrative tradition: the word "lore" derives from Old English lar, which meant "tradition, learning, what is taught, knowledge, or doctrine." Its origins trace back to Proto-Germanic languages and share the same root as the English verb “to learn,” denoting the knowledge passed down from one generation to the next within human communities, large or small. In medieval and modern English, "lore" referred to wisdom or stories preserved through oral tradition, including myths, legends, and teachings—the term “folklore” is directly derived from this. The term, for instance, appears in the opening lines of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven (“many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore”), often translated into Italian as “conoscenza perduta.” In contemporary times, the term became synonymous with the stories and mythologies in fantasy books and role-playing games, where backstory details were essential for building immersive worlds.

The concept of "lore," as we understand it today, gained traction in the world of fantasy literature and video games, where detailed storytelling was pivotal for creating compelling universes. The works of J.R.R. Tolkien, including The Lord of the Rings and complementary texts like The Silmarillion, are perhaps the first modern texts to elevate "lore" as a narrative device. Tolkien often referred to the stories of Arda as "lore," enriching his world with ancient tales, genealogies, and legends. The keepers of this knowledge, the Lore-masters, became an archetype in fantasy narratives, influencing countless other works. More recently, fantasy video games like Dark Souls or Elder Scrolls have brought the concept of "lore" to the forefront for a new generation. The Dark Souls series tells its story through cryptic fragments: item descriptions, environmental clues, and vague dialogues. Fans pieced these fragments together to uncover deeper narratives, creating "lore videos" on YouTube. These videos gained significant popularity, solidifying the idea that uncovering "lore" was an active, community-driven process—a puzzle for fans to solve. In other cases, such as the cult video game Five Nights at Freddy’s, fans themselves created the “lore”. The game’s deliberately cryptic storytelling encouraged fans to theorize about the backstory, spawning an entire genre of content creators dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the game’s universe and often inventing their own. The omnipresence of "lore" in contemporary pop culture is undeniable.

Movies, TV series, and video games have started to include increasingly intricate backstories—not necessarily to deepen the narrative but as a marketing tool to justify sequels, prequels, and spin-offs. For example, the Star Wars Expanded Universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe are prime examples of how lore drives interconnected franchises. This shift has also sparked criticism. Some argue that overloading stories with complex lore dilutes narrative clarity, turning "lore" into a buzzword. Around 2020, the term "lore" began escaping the confines of nerd culture, finding a new home on TikTok. By late 2022, users began sharing snippets of "personal lore"—bizarre or embarrassing anecdotes from their lives, told as part of their "character development." The trend exploded, with creators pairing these stories with humor, nostalgia, or self-awareness. Needless to say, searches for the word have increased by 80% in four years, sparking curiosity while being used much more in a fascinating example of how younger generations reinterpret common language. For Gen Z, "lore" is a way to narrativize everyday life, transforming ordinary experiences into micro-stories. The singularity of the word, its simplicity, and its roots in gaming culture made it perfect for amplification by algorithms. Platforms like TikTok accelerated its usage, making it a constant presence in pop culture.