People — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb plural noun /ˈpē-pəl/ peo·ple

Meaning & Definition of People

People (noun)

  1. human beings, persons
  2. human beings as a group
  3. people who form a segment of humanity usually sharing a common characteristic —often used in combination

People (verb)

  1. to supply or fill with people
  2. to dwell in, inhabit

People (plural noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. human beings in general

    "despite the horrors she witnessed, Anne Frank never lost her faith in people"

    similar: folks, humanity, humankind, public, species, world
    related: community, society, crowd, masses, mob, populace, proletariat, rabble, rabblement, riffraff

  2. the body of the community as contrasted with the elite

    "tensions mounted until the people rose up in rebellion"

    similar: commoners, commons, crowd, herd, hoi polloi, mass, millions, mob, multitude, plebeians, plebs, populace, public, rank and file
    related: cattle, proletariat, rabble, rabblement, ragtag and bobtail, riffraff, rout, scum, tag, rag, and bobtail, trash, unwashed, bourgeoisie, middle class
    opposite: A-list, aristocracy, best, choice, corps d'elite, cream, elect, elite, fat, flower, pick, pink, pride, upper crust
    near: gentility, gentlefolk, gentry, haute monde, nobility, patriciate, peerage, quality, royalty, society

  3. a group of persons who come from the same ancestor

    "introduced my new boyfriend to my people"

    similar: blood, clan, family, folks, house, kin, kindred, kinfolk, kinsfolk, line, lineage, race (archaic), stock, tribe
    related: blended family, nuclear family, extended family, household, kith, brood, descendant, issue, offspring, progeny, scion, seed, clansman, kinsman, kinswoman, relative, dynasty
    near: ancestry, birth, descent, extraction, origin, pedigree

People (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to supply with inhabitants

    "a science-fiction novel about a mission to people Mars"

    similar: colonize, populate, settle
    related: inhabit, move (to), relocate (to)
    opposite: depopulate, unpeople

Related Entry: (the) people (plural noun)

(the) people is a different word from People. The synonyms below are for (the) people, not for people.

  1. as in (the) public, (the) crowd

    similar: commoners, (the) crowd, (the) masses, peasantry, peonage, plebeians, plebs, (the) populace, (the) public, rank and file, proletarians, proletariat, bourgeoisie, middle class, working class, dregs, (the) herd, (the) mob, rabble, rabblement, riffraff, scum, trash
    opposite: aristocracy, elite, gentility, gentlefolk, gentry, nobility, patriciate, quality, upper class, upper crust, A-list, beau monde, beautiful people, café society, Four Hundred, glitterati, haut monde, jet set, society, carriage trade, plutocracy

Related Entry: Beautiful people (noun)

Beautiful people is a different word from People. The synonyms below are for beautiful people, not for people.

  1. as in café society, haut monde

    similar: A-list, beau monde, café society, Four Hundred, glitterati, haut monde, jet set, society, aristocracy, elite, gentility, gentlefolk, gentry, nobility, patriciate, quality, upper class, upper crust, carriage trade, plutocracy
    opposite: proletarians, proletariat, commoners, (the) crowd, (the) masses, peasantry, peonage, (the) people, plebeians, plebs, (the) populace, (the) public, rank and file, bourgeoisie, middle class, working class, dregs, (the) herd, (the) mob, rabble, rabblement, riffraff, scum, trash

Related Entry: Little people (noun)

Little people is a different word from People. The synonyms below are for little people, not for people.

  1. as in troll, elf

    similar: brownie, dwarf, elf, faerie, fairy, fay, gnome, goblin, gremlin, hobgoblin, kobold, leprechaun, pixie, puck, sprite, troll, banshee, ghoul, hag, ogre, imp, kelpie, nixie, changeling

Related Entry: Point people (noun)

Point people is a different word from People. The synonyms below are for point people, not for people.

  1. a person who speaks for another or for a group

    "she's become known as the point person for the state department's Middle East policy"

    similar: mouthpieces, mouths, point men, prophets, speakers, spokesmen, spokespeople
    related: spokesmodels, spokeswomen, fronts, promoters, shills, communicators, sayers, talkers, agents, ambassadors, delegates, emissaries, envoys, representatives

Related Entry: Businesspeople (noun)

Businesspeople is a different word from People. The synonyms below are for businesspeople, not for people.

  1. as in entrepreneurs, businessmen

    similar: businessmen, businesswomen, enterprisers, entrepreneurs, retailers, sellers, vendors, buyers, marketers, purchasers, dealers, merchandisers, merchants, traders, tradesmen, traffickers, jobbers, middlemen, wholesalers, distributors, providers, provisioners, purveyors, suppliers, authors, begetters, establishers, fathers, founders, founding fathers, generators, inaugurators, initiators, instituters, originators, sires, factories, manufactories, mills, plants, shops, works, workshops, groundbreakers, pioneers, planners, researchers, researchists, agriculturists, agronomists, cultivators, farmers, growers, planters, tillers

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for People

The most common words with a similar meaning to People:

Archaic: race
folks, humanity, humankind, public, species, world, commoners, commons, crowd, herd, hoi polloi, mass, millions, mob, multitude, plebeians, plebs, populace, rank and file, blood, clan, family, house, kin, kindred, kinfolk, kinsfolk, line, lineage, stock, tribe, colonize, populate, settle

Antonyms & Opposite Words for People

Words with the opposite meaning of People:

A-list, aristocracy, best, choice, corps d'elite, cream, elect, elite, fat, flower, pick, pink, pride, upper crust, depopulate, unpeople

Related Words for People

community, society, masses, proletariat, rabble, rabblement, riffraff, cattle, ragtag and bobtail, rout, scum, tag, rag, and bobtail, trash, unwashed, bourgeoisie, middle class, blended family, nuclear family, extended family, household, kith, brood, descendant, issue, offspring, progeny, scion, seed, clansman, kinsman

Near Antonyms of People

gentility, gentlefolk, gentry, haute monde, nobility, patriciate, peerage, quality, royalty, society, ancestry, birth, descent, extraction, origin, pedigree

Word Forms of People

Inflections: peopled, peopling

Derived words: peopleless (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of People

Middle English peple, poeple, people, borrowed from Anglo-French pople, poeple, people (continental Old French pople, pueple), going back to Latin populus "a human community, people, nation, the people (transcending the individuals composing it), the general public," going back to Italic *poplo- (whence also Umbrian poplom), of uncertain origin

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for People

Words & Phrases Containing People

people mover, people pleaser, people carrier, people person, people skills, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

Frequently Asked Questions about People

What does "People" mean?

"People" means human beings, persons. As an a noun, a verb and a plural noun, it is defined as: human beings, persons. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "People"?

Other words for "People" include folks, humanity, humankind, public, species, world, commoners and commons. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "People" you intend.

What are different ways to say "People"?

There are 71 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "People". Common alternatives include folks, humanity, humankind, public, species, world, commoners, commons, crowd and herd.

What is the opposite of "People"?

Antonyms of "People" include A-list, aristocracy, best, choice, corps d'elite, cream, elect and elite. Near antonyms include gentility, gentlefolk, gentry and haute monde.

How do you use "People" in a sentence?

Examples of "People" in a sentence: "despite the horrors she witnessed, Anne Frank never lost her faith in people"; "tensions mounted until the people rose up in rebellion"; "introduced my new boyfriend to my people".

Is "People" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"People" can be used as a noun, a verb and a plural noun, depending on the context.

Is "People" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "People" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "People"?

"People" is pronounced /ˈpē-pəl/ and divided into syllables as peo·ple.