masses

British  

/ ˈmæsɪz /

plural noun

1. the body of common people

2. informal (often foll by of) great numbers or quantities

   masses of food

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Explanation

The masses refers to a large, general group of regular folks — the common people of a society. If you’re super rich, you ride around in a private jet while the masses take crowded buses. The masses don’t include celebrities, rich people, royalty, or political leaders. The masses are everybody else. People use this term when they need to speak generally about the majority, although it often refers to the lower class. To win an election, a politician must appeal to the masses. Popular movies and music also must appeal to the masses — in other words, they need mass appeal. The word masses is also just plural for any kind of mass.

Example Sentences

Jerald “Coop” Cooper is an artist and founder of Hood Century, a media agency researching, archiving and educating the masses on Black folks lived experience with the city, via architecture, design and popular culture.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Become a real nuisance and tech boosters will eventually give up, handing the future back to the pestering, teeming masses.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

It was the stock ticker’s 1869 introduction that brought trading, legal and illicit, to the masses.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

But Samsung tempered expectations for the gigantic device, with an executive describing it as a special-edition product for diehard fans rather than for the masses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

KdF was a national German organization that was supposed to make leisure activities available to the masses, regardless of social class.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys