people

[ pee-puhl ]

noun

, plural peo·ples

1. persons indefinitely or collectively; persons in general:

   to find it easy to talk to people; What will people think?

2. persons, whether men, women, or children, considered as numerable individuals forming a group:

   Twenty people volunteered to help.

3. human beings, as distinguished from animals or other beings.
4. the entire body of persons who constitute a community, tribe, nation, or other group by virtue of a common culture, history, religion, or the like:

   the people of Australia; the Jewish people.

5. the persons of any particular group, company, or number (sometimes used in combination):

   the people of a parish; educated people; salespeople.

6. the ordinary persons, as distinguished from those who have wealth, rank, influence, etc.:

   a man of the people.

7. the subjects, followers, or subordinates of a ruler, leader, employer, etc.:

   the king and his people.

8. the body of enfranchised citizens of a state:

   representatives chosen by the people.

9. a person's family or relatives:

   My grandmother's people came from Iowa.

10. (used in the possessive in Communist or left-wing countries to indicate that an institution operates under the control of or for the benefit of the people, especially under Communist leadership):

    people's republic; people's army.

11. animals of a specified kind:

    the monkey people of the forest.

verb (used with object)

, peo·pled, peo·pling.

1. to furnish with people; populate.
2. to supply or stock as if with people:

   a meadow peopled with flowers.

people

/ ˈpiːpəl /

noun

1. persons collectively or in general
2. a group of persons considered together

   blind people

3. peoples the persons living in a country and sharing the same nationality

   the French people

4. one's family

   he took her home to meet his people

5. persons loyal to someone powerful

   the king's people accompanied him in exile

6. the people
   1. the mass of persons without special distinction, privileges, etc
   2. the body of persons in a country, esp those entitled to vote

verb

1. tr to provide with or as if with people or inhabitants

Usage Note

People is usually followed by a plural verb and referred to by a plural pronoun: People are always looking for a bargain. The people have made their choice. The possessive is formed regularly, with the apostrophe before the -s: people's desire for a bargain; the people's choice. When people means “the entire body of persons who constitute a community or other group by virtue of a common culture, history, etc.,” it is used as a singular, with the plural peoples : This people shares characteristics with certain inhabitants of central Asia. The aboriginal peoples of the Western Hemisphere speak many different languages. The formation of the possessive is regular; the singular is people's and the plural is peoples '. At one time, some usage guides maintained that people could not be preceded by a number, as in Fewer than 30 people showed up. This use is now unquestionably standard in all contexts.

Usage

See person

Grammar Note

Is the plural persons or people? See person.

Other Words From

• people·less adjective
• peopler noun
• outpeople verb (used with object) outpeopled outpeopling
• under·peopled adjective
• well-peopled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of people¹

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English peple, from Anglo-French poeple, Old French pueple, from Latin populus; popular

Word History and Origins

Origin of people¹

C13: from Old French pople, from Latin populus; see populace

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with people , also see tell (people) apart .

Synonym Study

See race ².

Example Sentences

Kelly is among those most torn about what to do, according to people who have spoken with him.

From Washington Post

I mean, my own view is that that still just resonates with a lot of people in this country.

From Freakonomics

We have very few people with it, and the people that have it are … getting better.

From Washington Post

Additional investees focus on giving people in underserved and under-resourced communities access to affordable housing.

From Fortune

Such a monumental effort would be slowed down without the buy-in of the people who live in and around these buildings.

From Fortune

Really, is it any wonder that fluoride should freak people out?

From The Daily Beast

Placed in drinking water, fluoride can serve people who otherwise have poor access to dental care.

From The Daily Beast

There was a lot of positive feedback from people interested in non-gender binary people.

From The Daily Beast

Then add in all bored people, as well as people whose job it is to report on celebrities.

From The Daily Beast

If anything the work the two cops and the maintenance guy were doing deserves more respect and probably helped a lot more people.

From The Daily Beast

The Majesty on high has a colony and a people on earth, which otherwise is under the supremacy of the Evil One.

From Project Gutenberg

The people here retained the same paganism and barbarity, only they were not so dangerous, being conquered by the Muscovites.

From Project Gutenberg

All our people were well mounted, and armed with rifles, pistols, and bowie-knives.

From Project Gutenberg

“This is a distressing predicament for these young people,” thought Mr. Pickwick, as he dressed himself next morning.

From Project Gutenberg

Few people, I think, realize that, and fewer still realize the reasonable consequences of that.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• community
• crowd
• family
• folk
• nation
• population
• public
• society

How Do You Spell People?

Spelling tips for people

The word people is hard to spell because, based on how it’s pronounced, you wouldn’t expect that o to be there. 

How to spell people: First, remember that it’s not spelled peeple, even though it sounds like it should be. Next, remember that it has an o in it. Then remember that the letters op when placed together look like the two eyes and a nose on a person’s face, looking out at you from the middle of the word (see it now?!).