PEOPLE • DICCIONARIO INGLES.COM • 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

... or late at night. Thus passed away two months, during which I occasionally saw the Dominie, the Stapletons, and old Tom Beazeley. I had exerted myself to procure Tom's discharge, and at last had the pleasure of telling the old people that it was to go out by the next packet. By the Drummonds I was received as a member of the family—there was no hindrance to my being alone with Sarah for hours; and although I had not ventured to declare my sentiments, they appeared ...

— Jacob Faithful • Captain Frederick Marryat

... Legislative branch: unicameral People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 11 June 1995 (next election postponed indefinitely) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PUP 71, RPG ...

— The 2002 CIA World Factbook • US Government

... kingdom which still mocked Joseph with the shadow of a crown. In the open field, indeed, the French appeared everywhere triumphant, except only where the British force from Portugal interfered, and in almost every district of Spain the fortresses were in their hands; yet the spirit of the people remained wholly unsubdued. The invaders could not count an inch of soil their own beyond their outposts. Their troops continued to be harassed and thinned by the indomitable guerillas or partisan ...

— The History of Napoleon Buonaparte • John Gibson Lockhart

... the third day came the risen Saviour; but the people, thinking that Joseph had stolen away the body, seized and imprisoned him in a chamber where there was no window. They fastened the door and put a seal upon the lock and placed men before the door to guard it. Then the ...

— Christmas in Legend and Story - A Book for Boys and Girls • Elva S. Smith

... good thoroughfare, which led (as well as I could judge) in my direction. It brought me almost immediately through a piece of street, whence I could hear close by the springing of a watchman's rattle, and where I suppose a sixth part of the windows would be open, and the people, in all sorts of night gear, talking with a kind of tragic gusto from one to another. Here, again, I must run the gauntlet of a half-dozen questions, the rattle all the while sounding nearer; but ...

— St Ives • Robert Louis Stevenson

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