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.
The obvious question he did not answer was this: What did he need us little people for?
From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026
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
However, Sian said she was surprised by how little people knew about stem cell donation.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 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
I giggled when she said that, because ever since I was little, people had been telling me some version of exactly that.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
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.
