Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense peoples, present participle peopling, past tense, past participle peopled
1. plural noun
People are men, women, and children. People is normally used as the plural of person, instead of 'persons'.
Millions of people have lost their homes.
...the people of Angola. [+ of]
...homeless young people.
I don't think people should make promises they don't mean to keep.
It is illegal and could endanger other people's lives.
2. plural noun
The people is sometimes used to refer to ordinary men and women, in contrast to the government or the upper classes.
...the will of the people.
...a tremendous rift between the people and their leadership.
3. countable noun [with singular or plural verb]
A people is all the men, women, and children of a particular country or race.
...the native peoples of Central and South America. [+ of]
It's a triumph for the American people.
4. verb [usually passive]
If a place or country is peopled by a particular group of people, that group of people live there.
It was peopled by a fiercely independent race of peace-loving Buddhists. [beV-ed + by/with]
...a small town peopled by lay workers and families. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: inhabit, occupy, settle, populate More Synonyms of people
5. verb
If something such as a story or a time in history is peopledwith people of a particular kind, those people occur or exist in it.
[literary]
Grass's novels are peopled with outlandish characters. [beV-ed with/by n]
British history of the 19th Century is peopled by energetic reformers. [beV-ed with/by n]
Other people had the gift of peopling their lives with friends and colleagues. [VERB noun]
More Synonyms of people
people in British English
(ˈpiːpəl)
noun(usually functioning as plural)
1.
persons collectively or in general
2.
a group of persons considered together
blind people
3. Word forms: pluralpeoples
the persons living in a country and sharing the same nationality
the French people
4.
one's family
he took her home to meet his people
5.
persons loyal to someone powerful
the king's people accompanied him in exile
6. the people
verb
7. (transitive)
to provide with or as if with people or inhabitants
▶ USAGE See note at person
Word origin
C13: from Old French pople, from Latin populus; see populace
people in American English
(ˈpipəl)
nounWord forms: pluralˈpeoples
1.
a.
all the persons of a racial, national, religious, or linguistic group; nation, race, etc.
the peoples of the world
b.
a group of persons with common traditional, historical, or cultural ties, as distinct from racial or political unity
the Jewish people
2. Archaic
a group of creatures
the ant people
plural noun
3. pl. of
person (sense 1)
4.
the persons belonging to a certain place, community, or class
the people of Iowa, people of wealth
5.
the members of a group under the leadership, influence, or control of a particular person or body, as members of a group of servants, royal subjects, etc.
6.
the members of (someone's) class, occupation, set, race, tribe, etc.
the miner spoke for his people
7.
one's relatives or ancestors; family
8.
persons without wealth, influence, privilege, or distinction; members of the populace
9.
the citizens or electorate of a state
10.
persons considered indefinitely
people are funny
11.
human beings, as distinct from other animals
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈpeopled or ˈpeopling
12.
to fill with or as with people; populate; stock
Word origin
ME peple < Anglo-Fr poeple, people < OFr pople < L populus, nation, crowd < ?
-people in American English
(ˈpipəl)
-person
see also person (sense 1)
More idioms containing
people
people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
drive a wedge between people
COBUILD Collocations
people
local people
many people
more people
most people
Examples of 'people' in a sentence
people
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…
This is exactly the kind of relationship people wish existed more in the economy.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You meet where people exercise in groups.
The Sun (2016)
So why do homeless people do it?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We want this message to reach as many people as possible and save lives.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We will meet the medical people to see what the real problem is.
The Sun (2017)
The risk rose the closer that people lived to heavy traffic.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Without a consensus patients and people in need will suffer.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
For people with good general knowledge it's an easy way to get free cash.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We want the best people to do the best jobs.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Her focus group turned out to be six people and her family.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The anger may be directed at people in general because she feels betrayed rather than protected.
Wilkinson, Helena Beyond Chaotic Eating (1993)
Everyone says that people vote differently in a general election.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We did feel like homeless people last night though.
The Sun (2013)
Both have ageing populations and few affordable homes for local people.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
We have made our case with the support of an amazing coalition of people and groups.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
But there is something about the park that seems to make people decent citizens.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Young people need or want to live and work in cities.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We also have a good idea of where these additional people will live.
The Sun (2009)
The government should employ people like me.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You have to get to know people and keep informed.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This book is richly stocked with people whom any person of decent instincts will find loathsome.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
She interacts easily with people of all races and music of all genres.
Christianity Today (2000)
There was one country and one people which stood by us at that time.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Fears were aimed mainly at people with a history of allergies in their families.
The Sun (2008)
Young people should think about their future.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
You have a quiet inner confidence and a subtle way of letting people know you mean business.
The Sun (2014)
People do not want passive ads flashing up on their new screens.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
People in general much prefer challenges to problems.
Pete Cohen and Sten Cummins with Jennai Cox HABIT BUSTING: A 10-step plan that will change your life (2002)
Mars visits your chart of faraway faces and places and people in another land talk about you for two exciting reasons.
The Sun (2009)
We meet more people -- more names to forget.
Thomas Blaikie Blaikie's Guide to Modern Manners (2005)
Quotations
The voice of the people is the voice of GodAlcuinEpistles
In other languages
people
British English: people /ˈpiːpl/ NOUN
People are men, women, and children.
Millions of people lost their homes.
American English: people
Arabic: نَاسٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: pessoas
Chinese: 人们
Croatian: ljudi
Czech: lidé
Danish: folk
Dutch: mensen
European Spanish: gente
Finnish: ihmiset
French: gens
German: Menschen
Greek: άνθρωποι
Italian: persone
Japanese: 人々
Korean: 사람들
Norwegian: personer
Polish: ludzie
European Portuguese: pessoas
Romanian: oameni
Russian: люди
Latin American Spanish: gente
Swedish: folk
Thai: ผู้คน
Turkish: insanlar
Ukrainian: люди
Vietnamese: người
Translate your text for free
All related terms of 'people'
person
A person is a man , woman , or child .
boat people
Boat people are people who escape from their country in small boats to travel to another country in the hope that they will be able to live there.
good people
→ the good people
lay people
→ lay person
many people
People are men, women, and children. People is normally used as the plural of → person , instead of 'persons'.
more people
People are men, women, and children. People is normally used as the plural of → person , instead of 'persons'.
most people
People are men, women, and children. People is normally used as the plural of → person , instead of 'persons'.
pod people
a person who behaves in a strange esp mechanical way, as if not fully human
the people
the mass of persons without special distinction , privileges , etc
chosen people
any of various peoples believing themselves to be chosen by God, esp the Jews
flower people
(esp during the 1960s) young people whose behaviour , dress , use of drugs, etc implied a rejection of conventional values, and who used flowers to symbolize peace and naturalness
little people
small supernatural beings, such as elves , pixies, or leprechauns
local people
People are men, women, and children. People is normally used as the plural of → person , instead of 'persons'.
people flock
If people flock to a particular place or event, a very large number of them go there, usually because it is pleasant or interesting.
people mover
A people mover is the same as a → people carrier .
people person
A person is a man, woman, or child .
people power
the power or pressure demonstrated by the large numbers of the public in non-violent ways
people skills
People skills are the ability to deal with, influence, and communicate effectively with other people.
Plain People
the Mennonites, Dunkers, and Amish people
street people
Street people are homeless people who live outdoors in a town or city.
country people
people who live in the country
peculiar people
a small sect of faith healers founded in London in 1838, having no ministers or external organization
people carrier
A people carrier is a large family car which looks similar to a van and has three rows of seats for passengers .
beautiful people
wealthy , fashionable people of the leisure class
people management
People management involves controlling and organizing the people who work in a business or organization .
people's front
any of the left-wing groups or parties that were organized from 1935 onwards to oppose the spread of fascism
people smuggling
People smuggling or people trafficking is the practice of bringing immigrants into a country illegally.
people's panel
a group of people composed of members of the public, brought together to discuss , investigate , or decide on a particular matter
People's Party
the political party of the Populists
people trafficking
the practice of bringing immigrants into a country illegally
travelling people
Gypsies or other itinerant people: a term used esp by such people of themselves
droves of people
large numbers of people
People's Commissar
an official of the Communist Party responsible for political education , esp in a military unit
people's democracy
(in Communist ideology ) a country or form of government in transition from bourgeois democracy to socialism . In this stage there is more than one class, the largest being the proletariat , led by the Communist Party, which is therefore the dominant power
the good people
fairies
layperson
a layman
lay person
A lay person is a person who is not trained, qualified , or experienced in a particular subject or activity.
pod person
a person who behaves in a strange esp mechanical way, as if not fully human
old people's home
An old people's home is a place where old people live and are cared for when they are too old to look after themselves.
the beautiful people
rich, fashionable people in international high society
as things/people go
You use expressions like as things go or as children go when you are describing one person or thing and comparing them with others of the same kind .
House of the People
the lower chamber of India's Parliament
Beaker folk
a prehistoric people thought to have originated in the Iberian peninsula and spread to central Europe and Britain during the second millennium bc
business person
Business people are people who work in business.
displaced person
A displaced person is someone who has been forced to leave the place where they live , especially because of a war.
as people (or things) go
in comparison with how other people (or things) are
drive a wedge between people
to cause bad feelings between two people who are close in order to weaken their relationship
knock people's heads together
to force people who are disagreeing to reach an agreement
Mongolian People's Republic
→ Mongolia (the country )
People's Republic of China
a republic in E Asia: the third largest and the most populous country in the world; the oldest continuing civilization ( beginning over 2000 years bc ); republic established in 1911 after the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty by Sun Yat-sen; People's Republic formed in 1949; the 1980s and 1990s saw economic liberalization but a rejection of political reform ; contains vast deserts , steppes , great mountain ranges (Himalayas, Kunlun , Tian Shan , and Nan Shan), a central rugged plateau , and intensively cultivated E plains . Language: Chinese in various dialects , the chief of which is Mandarin . Religion: officially nonreligious , but with Buddhist and Taoist minorities . Currency: yuan . Capital: Beijing . Pop: 1 417 504 847 (2017 est). Area: 9 560 990 sq km (3 691 502 sq miles)
Chinese translation of 'people'
people
(ˈpiːpl)
n pl
(= individuals) 人 (rén)
⇒ There were 120 people at the lecture.120人去听了讲座。 (Yībǎi èishí rén qù tīngle jiǎngzuò.)
(generalizing) 人们(們) (rénmen)
⇒ There has been a complete change in people's ideas on the subject.人们完全改变了对这个问题的看法。 (Rénmen wánquán gǎibiànle duì zhège wèntí de kànfǎ.)
the people (= ordinary people) 人民 (rénmín)
⇒ a rift between the people and their leadership人民和领导层的不和 (rénmín hé lǐngdǎocéng de bùhé)
(Pol) 国(國)民 (guómín)
n(c)
(= nation, race) 民族 (mínzú) (个(個), gè)
⇒ the native peoples of Central America中美洲的土著民族 (Zhōngměizhōu de tǔzhù mínzú)
vt
(= populate) 居住于(於) (jūzhù yú)
old people老人 (lǎorén)
young people年轻(輕)人 (niánqīngrén)
many people许(許)多人 (xǔduō rén)
people say that ... 有人说(說) ... (yǒurén shuō ... )
a man of the people同人民打成一片的人 (tóng rénmín dǎ chéng yīpiàn de rén)
person
(ˈpəːsn)
Word forms:pl, usuallypeople
n(c)
人 (rén) (个(個), gè)
in person[appear, collect, sing]亲(親)自 (qīnzì)
on or about one's person带(帶)在身上 (dài zài shēnshang)
person 的复数形式通常为 people。 They were both lovely, friendly people ... There were a lot of people at the party.persons 只用于正式场合和法律用语中。 Persons who wish to adopt a child may contact their local social services department.
All related terms of 'people'
person
人 rén [ 个(個) gè ]
many people
许(許)多人 xǔduō rén
most people
大多数(數)人 dàduōshù rén
old people
老人 lǎorén
the people
( ordinary people ) 人民 rénmín ⇒ a rift between the people and their leadership → 人民和领导层的不和 rénmín hé lǐngdǎocéng de bùhé
young people
年轻(輕)人 niánqīngrén
some 10 people
大约(約)10人 dàyuē shí rén
crowds of people
大批人群 dàpī rénqún
droves of people
一群群的人 yī qún qún de rén
those people/books
那些人/书(書) nàxiē rén/shū
up to 100 people
多达(達)100人 duō dá yībǎi rén
Italian-speaking people
讲(講)意大利语(語)的人士 jiǎng Yìdàlìyǔ de rénshì
one in ten people
十分之一的人 shī fēn zhī yī de rén
over 200 people came
超过(過)二百人来(來)了 zhāoguò èrbǎi rén lái le
people say that ...
有人说(說) ... yǒurén shuō ...
the people concerned
( in question ) 有关(關)人士 yǒuguān rénshì [ 位 wèi ]
a man of the people
同人民打成一片的人 tóng rénmín dǎ chéng yīpiàn de rén
people of Indian origin
印度人 Yìndùrén
millions of people/things
( loads of ) 无(無)数(數)的人/物 wúshù de rén/wù
one in every five people
每五人中有一人 měi wǔ rén zhōng yǒu yī rén
people aged 65 and over
65岁(歲)及以上年龄(齡)的人 liùshíwǔ suì jí yǐshàng niánlíng de rén
some people say that ...
有些人说(說) ... yǒuxiē rén shuō ...
an array of people/things
一大批人/物 yī dà pī rén/wù
how much milk/many people?
有多少奶/人？ yǒu duōshǎo nǎi/rén?
the people/family next door
隔壁的人/人家 gébì de rén/rénjiā
about a hundred/thousand people
大约(約)100/1000人 dàyuē yībǎi/yīqiān rén
as many as ten thousand people
( emphatic ) 一万(萬)人之多 yīwàn rén zhī duō
people came in their thousands
数(數)以千计(計)的人们(們)涌(湧)了进(進)来(來) shù yǐ qiān jì de rénmen yǒngle jìnlái
有些人讨(討)厌(厭)鱼(魚)，而有些人喜欢(歡) yǒuxiē rén tǎoyàn yú, ér yǒuxiē rén xǐhuan
he doesn't take kindly to criticism/people criticizing him
他不乐(樂)意接受批评(評) tā bù lèyì jiēshòu pīpíng
1 (plural noun)
People should treat the planet with respect.
Synonyms
humankind
persons
humans
individuals
folk (informal)
men and women
human beings
humanity
mankind
mortals
the human race
Homo sapiens
PPL (textmessaging)
2 (plural noun)
the will of the people
Synonyms
the public
the crowd
You can learn to stand out from the crowd.
the masses
His music is commercial. It is aimed at the masses.
the general public
the mob
the herd
the grass roots
the rank and file
the multitude
the populace
the proletariat
the rabble
the plebs
the proles (derogatory, slang, mainly British)
the commonalty
(the) hoi polloi
PPL (textmessaging)
3 (plural noun)
the people of Rome
Synonyms
nation
public
community
subjects
population
residents
citizens
folk
inhabitants
electors
populace
tax payers
citizenry
(general) public
PPL (textmessaging)
4 (plural noun)
the native peoples of Central and South America
Synonyms
race
tribe
ethnic group
PPL (textmessaging)
5 (plural noun)
My people still live in Ireland.
Synonyms
family
parents
relations
relatives
folk
folks (informal)
clan
kin
next of kin
kinsmen or women
nearest and dearest
kith and kin
your own flesh and blood
The kid was his own flesh and blood.
rellies (Australian, slang)
PPL (textmessaging)
(verb)
Definition
to provide with inhabitants
a small town peopled by workers and families
Synonyms
inhabit
the people who inhabit these islands
occupy
the couple who occupy the flat above mine
settle
This was one of the first areas to be settled by Europeans.
populate
They believe Europe was populated by modern humans around 45,000 years ago.
colonize
The first British attempt to colonize Ireland was in the twelfth century.
subject word lists
See African peoplesSee Asian peoplesSee Australasian peoplesSee Central and South American Indian peoplesSee Eskimo peoplesSee European peoplesSee Native American tribes
Quotation
The voice of the people is the voice of God [Alcuin – Epistles]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of colonize
Definition
to settle in (an area) as colonists
The first British attempt to colonize Ireland was in the twelfth century.
Synonyms
settle,
populate,
put down roots in,
people,
pioneer,
open up
in the sense of occupy
Definition
to live, stay, or work in (a house, flat, or office)
the couple who occupy the flat above mine
Synonyms
inhabit,
own,
live in,
stay in (Scottish),
be established in,
dwell in,
be in residence in,
establish yourself in,
ensconce yourself in,
tenant,
reside in,
lodge in,
take up residence in,
make your home,
abide in
in the sense of populate
Definition
to provide with inhabitants
They believe Europe was populated by modern humans around 45,000 years ago.
Synonyms
settle,
people,
occupy,
pioneer,
colonize
Synonyms of 'people'
people
Explore 'people' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of settle
Definition
to migrate to (a country) and form a community
This was one of the first areas to be settled by Europeans.
Synonyms
colonize,
populate,
people,
pioneer
in the sense of the crowd
Definition
the masses
You can learn to stand out from the crowd.
Synonyms
the masses,
the people,
the public,
the mob,
the rank and file,
the populace,
the rabble,
the proletariat,
the hoi polloi,
the riffraff,
the vulgar herd
in the sense of the masses
Definition
ordinary people as a group
His music is commercial. It is aimed at the masses.