townspeople

American

[taunz-pee-puhl] / ˈtaʊnzˌpi pəl /

plural noun

the inhabitants or citizenry of a town.
people who were raised in a town or city.

townspeople British

/ ˈtaʊnzˌpiːpəl /

noun

the inhabitants of a town; citizens

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of townspeople

First recorded in 1640–50; town + 's ¹ + people

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

townspeople

She fancies it a joke to get the townspeople off her back, rubbing their traditions back in their faces.

From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026

When it was over, the townspeople applauded for a full two minutes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

The plans came up repeatedly when the BBC spoke to townspeople.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

A handful of townspeople now mutter about seceding from the local council area, echoing a widening harrumph of displeasure with the various layers of government in Britain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

“The welfare of the townspeople is none of my concern,” she said.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023