people

[pee-puh l]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR people ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural peo·ples for 4.

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.

verb (used with object), peo·pled, peo·pling.

to furnish with people; populate.

to supply or stock as if with people: a meadow peopled with flowers.

Origin of people

1225–75; Middle English peple < Anglo-French poeple, Old French pueple < Latin populus. See popular

Related formspeo·ple·less, adjectivepeo·pler, nounout·peo·ple, verb (used with object), out·peo·pled, out·peo·pling.un·der·peo·pled, adjectivewell-peo·pled, adjective

Can be confusedpeople persons (see grammar note at person)

Synonym study

4. See race².

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.

Grammar note

See person.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for peopling

locate, occupy, reside, populate, possess, own, sit, keep, cover, stay, maintain, involve, remain, inhabit, hold, establish, fill, lie, squat, consist

Examples from the Web for peopling

Historical Examples of peopling

The peopling of the world with whites is chiefly a Western process.
The Gates of India
Thomas Holdich
Animality is every where, filling every thing and peopling every thing.
The Sea
Jules Michelet
Where are the birds once peopling these forests, like myriads of rainbows?
Gardens of the Caribbees, v. 2/2
Ida May Hill Starr
She was pushing south, building forts and peopling the land.
How Canada was Won
F. S. Brereton
There are other legends in explanation of the peopling of the earth.
Curiosities of Superstition
W. H. Davenport Adams

British Dictionary definitions for peopling

people

noun (usually functioning as plural)

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

verb

(tr) to provide with or as if with people or inhabitants

Word Origin for people

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

xref

See person

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

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