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]

---

Example Sentences

At one end, PSG is the club of the masses, drawing its fan base from every strata of the city and its suburbs.

From The Wall Street Journal

These days, Elon Musk seems more focused on developing humanoid robots for the masses than on an affordable EV.

From Los Angeles Times

The fact that hundreds of thousands of people, including those who didn't vote for her party, turned up for the funeral would be seen as a reflection of her popularity among the masses.

From BBC

Blimp pilots, Sintora said, share one mission: to excite the masses.

From Los Angeles Times

The main reason Mr. Fantasy has suddenly appeared on the scene is to introduce his music to the masses — a career move he credits to his late grandmother.

From Salon