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.

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little people British  

plural noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of little people

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

little people

Pate said recent Democratic wins in regional and local elections had given her "hope that the little people -- the working class — maybe are being heard."

From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 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

Lyonne isn’t riding a “new wave,” she’s surfing a tsunami, and she’s too high up to notice all of the little people whose careers are in jeopardy for the sake of cheaper, less artful filmmaking.

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2025

"I have the problem that it’s not Putin that persecuted me but those little people I lived in the same city with," she says.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2024

High, high and away, the glaring white lights of the bridge— he thought he could see small figures there, little people moving in the white light.

From "The Voyage Of The Frog" by Gary Paulsen