beautiful people

American

plural noun

(often initial capital letters) wealthy or famous people, often members of the jet set, who mingle in glamorous social circles and who, because of their celebrity, often establish trends or fashions.

beautiful people British

plural noun

(sometimes capitals) rich, fashionable people in international high society

"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 beautiful people

First recorded in 1965–70

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.

His recruiting focused on the beautiful people of the 1980s, so the screen fills with jet-setting supermodels and nights at Studio 54.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

“Quotidien” has drawn fans stateside for its ability to make famous and beautiful people look even better.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

"They want to be defined as a beautiful community with beautiful people," Zimmer told the BBC.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

These films take us into glamorous worlds of beautiful people, which is one of the reasons for going to the cinema.

From Salon • Oct. 24, 2024

"You and your mom are uptown girls living in your uptown worlds. You won't find Nergal at Tiffany's, or Chanel's, or wherever it is that beautiful people hang out."

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

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