US /ˈpi.pəl/ UK /ˈpiː.pəl/
noun verb Freq #111

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    Human beings in general, considered as a group.

    There were so many people at the restaurant last night.

  2. 2
    noun

    All the persons belonging to a particular nation, race, or community.

    The people of this country are proud of their history.

  3. 3
    noun

    The members of your family or your close group.

    Your people have been farmers for generations.

  4. 4
    verb

    To fill a place with people.

    Settlers gradually peopled the empty plains.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · human beings in general,... folkpeeps
2 noun · all the persons belonging... communitycitizenry
Word family
Forms peopledpeoplespeopling
Derived forms antipeopledepeopledispeopleelle-peopleempeoplehillspeoplemeepleoverpeoplepeople-carrierpeople-personpeople-pleasingpeople-pod
Related forms sheeple

Etymology

From Middle English puple, peple, peeple, from Anglo-Norman people, from Old French pueple, peuple, pople, from Latin populus (“a people, nation”), from Old Latin populus, from earlier poplus, from even earlier poplos, from Proto-Italic *poplos (“army”) of unknown origin. Doublet of pueblo. Gradually ousted native English lede and, partially, folk. Originally used with singular verbs (e.g. "the people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness" in the King James Version of 2 Samuel 17:29), the plural aspect of people is probably due to influence from Middle English lede, leed, a plur…

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