People is a common English word with several meanings. It can refer to human beings in general, a nation’s populationThe number of people living in a country or area., a family or relatives, or a group of ordinaryNot special or unusual; typical of most people. people. It is also a verb meaning to fill or populateTo fill a place with people or inhabitants. a place.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈpipəl/
Easy pronunciation: PEE-puhl (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the first syllable.
Plural noun meaning human beings in general or a group of them.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
People Meaning
human beings in general, or a group of them
Part of speech: noun
Definition: (plural) any group of human beings collectively
Example: There were at least 200 people in the audience.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- multitude — Works when referring to a large group of people.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of People
Meaning 2
the citizens of a country as a group
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the body of citizens of a state or country
Example: the Spanish people
Synonyms for this meaning:
- citizenry — A formal term for the citizens of a state or country.
Meaning 3
ordinary people, especially compared with the rich or powerful
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the common people generally
Example: Power to the people.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- hoi polloi — Used for ordinary people, often with a slightly dismissive tone.
- mass — Can refer to ordinary people as a group, but is broader and less natural in some contexts.
- masses — Refers to ordinary people in general.
- multitude — Can work in this sense, though it often emphasizes a large crowd rather than social class.
- the great unwashed — A rude or mocking way to refer to ordinary people.
Meaning 4
someone’s relatives, family, or ancestors
Part of speech: noun
Definition: members of a family line
Example: His people have been farmers for generations.
Meaning 5
to make a place have people in it
Part of speech: verb
Definition: fill with people; furnish with people
Example: Stalin wanted to people the empty steppes.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
People Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- multitude
ordinary people, especially compared with the rich or powerful
- hoi polloi
- masses
- the great unwashed
the citizens of a country as a group
- citizenry
a large group of people or a crowd
- mass
- multitude
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not use people as a singular noun in standard English when you mean one person.
- Do not confuse the noun people with the verb people, which means to populate or fill a place.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does people mean?
People usually means human beings in general or a group of them. It can also mean the citizens of a country, a person’s family or relatives, or ordinary people as a social group.
What are the synonyms of people?
The best synonym depends on the sense. For the everyday meaning, a strong synonym is multitude in some contexts. Other senses include citizenry for a country’s citizens and hoi polloi or masses for ordinary people.
Is people singular or plural?
People is usually a plural noun, though it can also be used as a collective noun. The verb form people means to populate or fill a place.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-01. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
