street people

American  

[street pee-puhl] / ˈstrit ˌpi pəl /

plural noun

1. people whose home is on the streets of a city; people who are unhoused or experiencing homelessness.

2. people who make their living on the streets, especially of large cities, as vendors or performers.

3. the people of a neighborhood, especially a poor and crowded big-city neighborhood, who frequent the streets of their area.

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Etymology

Origin of street people

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

“It can be used to point at people in the street, people in cars, and scan their facial prints without their consent,” said Kate Voigt, a senior policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

In the street, people danced to the sound of reggae tunes and local funana music.

From Barron's • Oct. 13, 2025

You’re watching people walk down the street, people are a little freaked out, places are closing down, there’s nobody out.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 12, 2023

I don’t necessarily know what the specific elements are, but when I go to New York, and I walk down the street, people will yell at me that they can tell.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2023

The ruinous decade had scarred the city, as it had every other: poor boxes on the street, people living on railcars.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand