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.

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little people British  

plural noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of little people

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

"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

Godzilla, "all the little people below are scrambling as these giants hit each other," says Federman.

From BBC • Apr. 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

Lyonne isn’t riding a “new wave,” she’s surfing a tsunami, and she’s too high up to notice all of the little people whose careers are in jeopardy for the sake of cheaper, less artful filmmaking.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 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