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

Newton's equation calculates gravitational force by multiplying two masses together, dividing by the square of the distance between them, and multiplying by big G. Written mathematically, the law is expressed as Gm1m2/r2.

From Science Daily • May 18, 2026

He had also brought his bike, which seemed to be the best way to elude the masses.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Cavendish suspended two lead spheres from a wire and positioned larger masses nearby.

From Science Daily • May 18, 2026

Thousands of individuals have invested in private companies such as SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI, using online platforms meant to bring the hottest opportunities to the masses.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Just as the taste of maple sugar faded along her tongue, she bent over, pushed back delicate leaves, and found masses of plump red little berries.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich