little people
Americanplural noun
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(in folklore) small, imaginary beings, as elves, fairies, or leprechauns.
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the common people, especially workers, small merchants, or the like, who lead conventional, presumably unremarkable lives.
plural noun
Etymology
Origin of little people
First recorded in 1720–30
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.
Pate said recent Democratic wins in regional and local elections had given her "hope that the little people -- the working class — maybe are being heard."
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
"Even with so little, people were doing the best they could. And patients were happy, even though they were struggling. I'd never seen that kind of relationship between human beings before."
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
One way to understand how little people thought of these teams’ chances before the start of the season is through their preseason odds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2025
Grab on to his cape and don’t worry about the little people on the ground.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2025
It was a snow globe, with two little people in it.
From "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
