people Definition

people
noun

1. A set or group of persons.
2. Men and women in general.

Thesaurus: humanity, humankind, the human race, mankind.
3. A body of persons held together by belief in common origin, speech, culture, political union, or by common leadership, etc.
4a. Ordinary citizens without special rank; the general populace;

Thesaurus: citizens, masses, the multitude, the majority, the public, common people, folk, rank and file, the horde, rabble.
Form: the people
4b. Denoting that the specified thing belongs or relates to the people, general populace, etc.

Example: people-power
Example: people-oriented
5. Voters as a body.

Form: the people
6. Subjects or supporters of a monarch, etc.
peoples
7. A nation or race.

Example: a warlike people
Thesaurus: race, nationality, extraction, tribe, clan, family, community.
8. colloq
One's parents, or the wider circle of one's relations.

verb peopled, peopling

1. To fill or supply (a region, etc) with people; to populate.

Thesaurus: inhabit, colonize, occupy, settle, populate.
2. To inhabit.

Idiom: of all people

Especially; more than anyone else.
Example: You, of all people, should know that

Very strangely or unexpectedly.
Example: chose me, of all people, as spokesperson

Etymology: 14c: from French poeple.

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person
noun persons, people (plural in sense 1 also)

1. An individual human being.

Thesaurus: individual, human being, somebody, personality, mortal, soul, spirit.
2. The body, often including clothes.

Example: A knife was found hidden on his person
Thesaurus: body, physique, form, frame.
3. grammar.
Each of the three classes into which pronouns and verb forms fall, first person denoting the speaker (or the speaker and others, eg I and we), second person the person addressed (with or without others, eg you) and third person the person(s) or thing(s) spoken of (eg she, he, it or they).
4. Christianity.
Any of the three forms or manifestations of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) that together form the Trinity (sense 2).
Form: Person
5. Used instead of -man, -woman, etc, to denote a specified activity or office, avoiding illegal or unnecessary discrimination on grounds of sex, eg in job advertisements. Compare chairman, chairwoman, etc.

Example: chairperson
Example: spokesperson

Idiom: be no respecter of persons

To make no allowances for rank or status.

Idiom: in person

Actually present oneself.
Example: was there in person

Doing something oneself, not asking or allowing others to do it for one.

Etymology: 13c: from French persone, from Latin persona actor's mask.