little people

American  

[lit-l pee-puhl] / ˈlɪt l ˌpi pəl /

plural noun

1. (in folklore) small, imaginary beings, as elves, fairies, or leprechauns.

2. the common people, especially workers, small merchants, or the like, who lead conventional, presumably unremarkable lives.

---

little people British  

plural noun

1. folklore small supernatural beings, such as elves, pixies, or leprechauns

---

Etymology

Origin of little people

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

However, Sian said she was surprised by how little people knew about stem cell donation.

From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026

One way to understand how little people thought of these teams’ chances before the start of the season is through their preseason odds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025

There’s very little people can do about the H5N1 circulating in wild birds.

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2025

“We were just little people going against a major-league team,” said Valenzuela.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2024

I turned the gourd upside- down to empty it, but no little people came tumbling out.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston