What does people mean?
“People” is the irregular plural of “person” and one of the most common nouns in modern English. It may refer to human beings in general, a particular population or community, or a group distinguished by shared circumstances or interests: “young people,” “local people,” or “people affected by the policy.” Although its plural form resembles the older word “peoples,” the two are not interchangeable in every context. “People” generally denotes human beings collectively, while “peoples” emphasizes separate ethnic, cultural, or linguistic communities. In the expression “the people,” the word can acquire political or social meaning, referring to a population, nation, or the ordinary members of a society. Its collective and individual senses coexist, allowing a form that grammatically takes a plural verb to convey both the population as a whole and the people within it.
nounHuman beings collectively, especially the inhabitants of a particular place, community, or social group. It is the irregular plural of “person,” although it also has the older collective sense of a population or nation.
- Human beings collectively, especially the inhabitants of a place, community, or social group.
- The inhabitants of a nation or polity regarded as a collective population.
- Informally, the people someone is referring to or addressing, often with an emphasis on their character, wishes, or circumstances.
"The exhibition brought people from every part of the country together."
"Many people welcomed the opportunity to discuss the proposal."
"The people of the region have a long tradition of welcoming visitors."
“People” is the irregular plural of “person” and does not take an additional s. “Peoples” is a separate plural used for distinct ethnic, cultural, or linguistic communities.
"The two peoples share a language, history, and cultural heritage."
One of English’s most familiar plurals has a collective history: “people” once referred to a nation or population before becoming the plural of “person.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of people
The word descends from Old English “peple,” meaning population or nation, which came through Old French “peuple” from Latin “populus,” meaning people, crowd, or populace. During the Middle English period, “people” gradually acquired its modern use as the plural of “person,” while retaining its older collective sense. Related English words such as “populate,” “popular,” “population,” and “populous” continue the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How people is actually used
In its standard modern use, “people” is the irregular plural of “person.” It can also function collectively, as in “the people,” and informally as in “good people”; “peoples,” with an s, is reserved for distinct ethnic, cultural, or linguistic communities.
Easily confused with people
“People” usually refers to human beings generally, while “peoples” refers to distinct ethnic, cultural, or linguistic communities.
“People” can mean human beings collectively, whereas “population” specifically means the inhabitants of an area or the number of inhabitants.