People

people

ˈpiːp(ə)l/

noun

plural noun: people; noun: people; plural noun: peoples; noun: one's people; plural noun: one's peoples

1. 1.

   human beings in general or considered collectively.

   "the earthquake killed 30,000 people"

   synonyms:

   human beings, persons, individuals, humans, mankind, humankind, the human race, Homo sapiens, humanity, the human species, mortals, (living) souls, personages, {men, women, and children}; More informalfolk, peeps "crowds of people"

   • the citizens of a country, especially when considered in relation to those who govern them.

     noun: the people

     "his reforms no longer have the support of the people"

     synonyms:

     citizens, subjects, electors, voters, taxpayers, residents, inhabitants, (general) public, citizenry, nation, population, populace, community, society "the British people have not been told the truth"

     
     
   • the members of a society without special rank or position.

     noun: the people

     "he is very much a man of the people"

     synonyms:

     the proletariat, the common people, the masses, the populace, the multitude, the rank and file, the commonality, the commonalty, the third estate, the plebeians, the crowd; More derogatorythe hoi polloi, the common herd, the rabble, the mob, the riff-raff, the canaille, the great unwashed, the ragtag (and bobtail), the proles, the plebs "a man of the people"

     
     
   • US

     the state prosecution in a trial.

     plural noun: People; noun: the People

     "pre-trial statements made by the People's witnesses"
     
     
2. 2.

   the members of a particular nation, community, or ethnic group.

   "the native peoples of Canada"

   synonyms:

   race, tribe, clan, ethnic group, strain, stock, caste, nation, country, population, populace; More archaicbreed, folk, seed "the peoples of Africa"

3. 3.

   one's supporters or employees.

   "I've had my people watching the house for some time now"
4. 4.

   dated

   one's parents or relatives.

   "my people live in Warwickshire"

   synonyms:

   family, parents, relatives, relations, folk, kinsmen, kin, kith and kin, next of kin, one's (own) flesh and blood, blood relatives/relations, nearest and dearest; More informalfolks, rents; formalkinsfolk, kinfolk "her people don't live far away"

verb

verb: people; 3rd person present: peoples; past tense: peopled; past participle: peopled; gerund or present participle: peopling

1. 1.

   (of a group of people) inhabit (a place).

   "an arid mountain region peopled by warring clans"

   synonyms:

   populate, settle (in), colonize, establish oneself in, inhabit, live in, occupy; More formalbe, reside in, domiciled in, dwell in "the Indians who once peopled Newfoundland"

   • fill or be present in (a place or domain).

     "in her imagination the flat was suddenly peopled with ghosts"
     
     
   • fill (a place) with inhabitants.

     "it was his intention to people the town with English colonists"
     
     

Origin

Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French poeple, from Latin populus ‘populace’.

person

ˈpəːs(ə)n/

noun

plural noun: people

1. 1.

   a human being regarded as an individual.

   "the porter was the last person to see her prior to her disappearance"

   synonyms:

   human being, individual, man/woman, human, being, living soul, soul, mortal, creature, fellow; More figure, personage; informalcharacter, type, sort, beggar, cookie, customer, critter, bunny, fella; informalbloke, chap, bod, geezer, gent; informalguy, gal, dame, dude, hombre; informalbastard; informalbody, dog; informalcove; vulgar slangsod, bugger; archaicwight "you were probably the last person to see Glynn alive"

   • (in legal or formal contexts) an unspecified individual.

     "each of the persons using unlawful violence is guilty of riot"
     
     
   • an individual characterized by a preference or liking for a specified thing.

     "she's not a cat person"
     
     
   • a character in a play or story.

     "his previous roles in the person of a fallible cop"
     
     
   • an individual's body.

     "I would have publicity photographs on my person at all times"
     
     
   • dated

     (especially in legal contexts) used euphemistically to refer to a man's genitals.
2. 2.

   Grammar

   a category used in the classification of pronouns, possessive determiners, and verb forms, according to whether they indicate the speaker first person, the addressee second person, or a third party third person.
3. 3.

   Christian Theology

   each of the three modes of being of God, namely the Father, the Son, or the Holy Ghost, who together constitute the Trinity.

Origin

Middle English: from Old French persone, from Latin persona ‘actor's mask, character in a play’, later ‘human being’.