people person

noun

, Informal.

1. an outgoing, gregarious person with good communication skills.

Word History and Origins

Origin of people person¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

He was also known as a charismatic pragmatist—a “people person”—who was open to the ideas of others.

From The Daily Beast

He was always energetic and positive and he was a people person.

From The Daily Beast

Jake Henkel, a high school friend and hockey teammate, described Morlock as a "really good people person."

From The Daily Beast

More About People Person

What is a people person?

A people person is someone who is outgoing and is really good at socializing with other people, as in Ryan is great at making friends because he is a real people person. 

When used as a plural noun, people person becomes people persons, as in The company is looking for people persons to fill their sales positions. However, the plural form is rarely used.

Example: I don’t like going to parties because I’m not a people person. 

Where does people person come from?

The first records of the phrase people person come from around 1966. It is used similarly to terms like cat person (someone who likes cats) or morning person (someone who likes mornings), which refer to someone who enjoys a particular thing. In this case, a people person is a person who likes other people.

The phrase people person is used to refer to someone who is outgoing and sociable. You might also call them an extrovert. In particular, people person is often used to describe people who are great communicators or who are very charismatic.

People person is considered an informal term and is more likely to be used in casual speech, light-hearted news stories, or job advertisements.

Did you know … ?

What are some synonyms for people person?

• extrovert

What are some words that share a root or word element with people person? 

• people
• person

What are some words that often get used in discussing people person?

• outgoing
• sociable
• friendly
• charming
• gregarious

How is people person used in real life?

People person is a common phrase that is used to describe outgoing people who are great talkers.

I’m realizing my dog is more of a people person than I am.

— Caylee Hammack (@Cayleehammack) September 25, 2020

Ya know working retail actually has made me more of a people person I actually like small talk now 😭😂

— Jaylene (@jay98lene) June 9, 2021

I hate being alone but I’m not a people person either 🥲

— dess. (@desiree_sinkel) June 11, 2021

Try using people person!

Which of the following words would NOT be a synonym for people person?

A. outgoing
B. gregarious
C. extroverted
D. shy