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

Cepeda’s message has resonated with many Colombians attracted by the promise of a bigger role for the government and a voice for the masses who feel they have missed out on prosperity.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

“What these guys have done is do the thing that prediction markets before have not done well, which is bring the masses to the market,” she said.

From Salon • May 24, 2026

Woolworth and Paramount Pictures offering relief to the masses.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

They varied factors including the masses and sizes of the black holes, the amount of surrounding dark matter, and the density of that matter.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

He was touched by the plight of the masses as a whole and by each and every individual.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela