PEOPLE • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of People

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/pˈipəl/ Listen

noun

People n.

1.

The body of persons who compose a community, tribe, nation, or race; an aggregate of individuals forming a whole; a community; a nation. "Unto him shall the gathering of the people be." "The ants are a people not strong." "Before many peoples, and nations, and tongues." "Earth's monarchs are her peoples." "A government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people." Note: Peopleis a collective noun, generally construed with a plural verb, and only occasionally used in the plural form (peoples), in the sense of nations or races.

2.

Persons, generally; an indefinite number of men and women; folks; population, or part of population; as, country people; sometimes used as an indefinite subject or verb, like on in French, and man in German; as, people in adversity. "People were tempted to lend by great premiums." "People have lived twenty-four days upon nothing but water."

3.

The mass of community as distinguished from a special class; the commonalty; the populace; the vulgar; the common crowd; as, nobles and people. "And strive to gain his pardon from the people."

4.

With a possessive pronoun:

(a)

One's ancestors or family; kindred; relations; as, my people were English.

(b)

One's subjects; fellow citizens; companions; followers. "You slew great number of his people."

Synonyms: People, Nation. When speaking of a state, we use people for the mass of the community, as distinguished from their rulers, and nation for the entire political body, including the rulers. In another sense of the term, nation describes those who are descended from the same stock; and in this sense the Germans regard themselves as one nation, though politically subject to different forms of government.

verb

People v. t. (past & past part. peopled; pres. part. peopling) To stock with people or inhabitants; to fill as with people; to populate. "Peopled heaven with angels." "As the gay motes that people the sunbeams."

See images of 'People'

Etymology of 'People'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"People" Quotes from Famous Books

... can be done," said George, desirous of granting Jim and Dick the very slight favor which they asked, and yet quite as unwilling as was Bob that the work should be done in any way which could be called illegal. "Bob can go to the torpedo people, pay them for the charge, get the cartridges and glycerine, with the express understanding that he is to do the work himself. That would make matters right all around, and you can fancy ...

— Ralph Gurney's Oil Speculation • James Otis

... matter of fact, she found very early in the evening, and continued to find thereafter, that the most engaging feature of Mr. Carrington's character was the interest he took in other people's business, so that the conversation very quickly strayed away from his own concerns—and remained away. It was not that he showed any undue curiosity; far from it. He was simply so sympathetic and such a good listener and put questions that showed he was following everything ...

— Simon • J. Storer Clouston

... It is painful to compare their procedure with the action of the First Consul in speedily bringing ecclesiastical bigots and fanatical atheists to the working compromise summed up in the Concordat. In the case of the Union, the initiative, energy, and zeal, which count for much among a Celtic people, passed to the side of Pitt's opponents. Thenceforth that measure could be carried through the Irish Parliament ...

— William Pitt and the Great War • John Holland Rose

... profundity of his wisdom exile me to some remote spot on the Mosquito coast. I walked into the establishment like one who feels himself an independent citizen, and then commenced looking at the place and the people, as the people commenced looking at me. Returning looks, and question-asking, seemed the fashion. 'Stranger!' said a well dressed but rather inquisitive individual, 'you must, to be anybody in this ...

— The Adventures of My Cousin Smooth • Timothy Templeton

... regard to England and Scotland was so familiar to them that it was robbed of its interest; but the school-books contained only very meagre allusions to Holland and Belgium. Many of them had read Mr. Motley's eloquent descriptions of the bravery and devotion to principle of the Dutch people in their civil wars and in their terrible conflict with the Spaniards, and they were desirous of knowing more about ...

— Dikes and Ditches - Young America in Holland and Belguim • Oliver Optic

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