people
- persons indefinitely or collectively; persons in general: to find it easy to talk to people; What will people think?
- persons, whether men, women, or children, considered as numerable individuals forming a group: Twenty people volunteered to help.
- human beings, as distinguished from animals or other beings.
- 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.
- the persons of any particular group, company, or number (sometimes used in combination): the people of a parish; educated people; salespeople.
- the ordinary persons, as distinguished from those who have wealth, rank, influence, etc.: a man of the people.
- the subjects, followers, or subordinates of a ruler, leader, employer, etc.: the king and his people.
- the body of enfranchised citizens of a state: representatives chosen by the people.
- a person's family or relatives: My grandmother's people came from Iowa.
- (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.
- animals of a specified kind: the monkey people of the forest.
- to furnish with people; populate.
- to supply or stock as if with people: a meadow peopled with flowers.
Origin of people
Synonym study
Usage note
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.
Grammar note
Related Words for peopling
locate, occupy, reside, populate, possess, own, sit, keep, cover, stay, maintain, involve, remain, inhabit, hold, establish, fill, lie, squat, consistExamples from the Web for peopling
Historical Examples of peopling
The peopling of the world with whites is chiefly a Western process.
The Gates of IndiaThomas Holdich
Animality is every where, filling every thing and peopling every thing.
The SeaJules Michelet
Where are the birds once peopling these forests, like myriads of rainbows?
Gardens of the Caribbees, v. 2/2Ida May Hill Starr
She was pushing south, building forts and peopling the land.
How Canada was WonF. S. Brereton
There are other legends in explanation of the peopling of the earth.
Curiosities of SuperstitionW. H. Davenport Adams
people
- persons collectively or in general
- a group of persons considered togetherblind people
- plural peoples the persons living in a country and sharing the same nationalitythe French people
- one's familyhe took her home to meet his people
- persons loyal to someone powerfulthe king's people accompanied him in exile
- the people
- the mass of persons without special distinction, privileges, etc
- the body of persons in a country, esp those entitled to vote
- (tr) to provide with or as if with people or inhabitants
Word Origin for people
xref
Word Origin and History for peopling
people
late 13c., "humans, persons in general," from Anglo-French people, Old French peupel "people, population, crowd; mankind, humanity," from Latin populus "a people, nation; body of citizens; a multitude, crowd, throng," of unknown origin, possibly from Etruscan. The Latin word also is the source of Spanish pueblo, Italian popolo. In English, it displaced native folk.
Meaning "body of persons comprising a community" first recorded late 13c. in Anglo-French; meaning "common people, masses" (as distinguished from the nobility) first recorded c.1300 in Anglo-French. Meaning "one's own tribe, group, etc." is from late 14c. The word was adopted after c.1920 by Communist totalitarian states to give a spurious sense of populism to their governments. Legal phrase The People vs., in U.S. cases of prosecution under certain laws, dates from 1801. People of the Book "those whose religion entails adherence to a book of divine revelation (1834) translates Arabic Ahl al-Kitab.
people
late 15c. (intransitive), c.1500 (transitive), from people (n.), or else from Middle French peupler, from Old French peuple. Related: Peopled; peopling.
Idioms and Phrases with peopling
people
In addition to the idiom beginning with people
- people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
also see:
- tell (people) apart