little people

American  

[lit-l pee-puhl] / ˈlɪt l ˌpi pəl /

plural noun

1. (in folklore) small, imaginary beings, as elves, fairies, or leprechauns.

2. the common people, especially workers, small merchants, or the like, who lead conventional, presumably unremarkable lives.

---

little people British  

plural noun

1. folklore small supernatural beings, such as elves, pixies, or leprechauns

---

Etymology

Origin of little people

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

“Knowing that gives them the motivation to want to learn how to read, to want to understand what text is for, what it can do for them. It’s very empowering for little people to realize that they have those tools.”

From Los Angeles Times

However, Sian said she was surprised by how little people knew about stem cell donation.

From BBC

"They're little people with interests and that's why they need to go to school, they need to have opportunities to play together - and that might be as important as dealing with the mental health problems that they're facing."

From BBC

“You’re talking about big powers. We’re just little people. They will control it, not us,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal

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