the masses

Idioms  

1. The body of common people, or people of low socioeconomic status, as in TV sitcoms are designed to appeal to the masses. This idiom is nearly always used in a snobbish context that puts down the taste, intelligence, or some other quality of the majority of people. W.S. Gilbert satirized this view in the peers' march in Iolanthe (1882), in which the lower-middle class and the masses are ordered to bow down before the peers. Prime Minister William Gladstone took a different view (Speech, 1886): “All the world over, I will back the masses against the [upper] classes.” [First half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

the masses

Social media platforms like YouTube have helped make it easier for anyone with a camera to create original content and spread it to the masses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

But, like many luxuries, as they became more popular and more accessible to the masses, the wealthy began pivoting – a textbook example of behaviour known as "counter signalling", Rudolfo says.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

By measuring the tiny movement of the beam with a mirror and a light pointer, Cavendish could determine the gravitational interaction between the masses and obtain information corresponding to the value of big G.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

On Martha’s Vineyard, “beach keys” are the ultimate status symbol, giving affluent property owners entry to secluded stretches of sand that are off-limits to the masses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

“Finley,” Boy21 says, “please tell the masses all they need to know about Boy21.”

From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick

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