man in the street

See synonyms for man in the street on Thesaurus.com

noun

the ordinary person; the average citizen: the political opinions of the man in the street.

Origin of man in the street

First recorded in 1825–35

Words Nearby man in the street

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use man in the street in a sentence

The man-in-the-street is not easily persuaded that the basis of the comic is, not uncommon nonsense, but glorified common-sense.
Mark Twain | Archibald Henderson
Far too long has the man-in-the-street been encouraged in an attitude of scorn for the efforts of the Twenty-three.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 150, June 21st, 1916 | Various
In European countries, however democratic, the man-in-the-street has rarely any immediate authority over Foreign Affairs.
Problems of the Pacific | Frank Fox
Like the man-in-the-street, Montaigne found refuge from reason in conviction.
Pot-Boilers | Clive Bell

British Dictionary definitions for man in the street

man in the street

noun

the typical or ordinary person, esp as a hypothetical unit in statistics

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with man in the street

man in the street

Also, woman in the street. An ordinary, average person, as in It will be interesting to see how the man in the street will answer that question. This expression came into use in the early 1800s when the votes of ordinary citizens began to influence public affairs. Today it is used especially in the news media, where reporters seek out the views of bystanders at noteworthy events, and by pollsters who try to predict the outcome of elections.

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