street people

American  

[street pee-puhl] / ˈstrit ˌpi pəl /

plural noun

1. people whose home is on the streets of a city; people who are unhoused or experiencing homelessness.

2. people who make their living on the streets, especially of large cities, as vendors or performers.

3. the people of a neighborhood, especially a poor and crowded big-city neighborhood, who frequent the streets of their area.

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Etymology

Origin of street people

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

So on the street, people feel free to come up, give you a hug and start talking to you.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

“It can be used to point at people in the street, people in cars, and scan their facial prints without their consent,” said Kate Voigt, a senior policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

In the street, people danced to the sound of reggae tunes and local funana music.

From Barron's • Oct. 13, 2025

On Holderness Road, the area's main shopping street, people were taking a walk around East Park in the autumn sunshine, despite freezing temperatures.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2024

And out in the street, people were walking by in clumps.

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix