plural people
1
plural
: human beings making up a group or assembly or linked by a common interest
2
plural
: human beings, persons
—often used in compounds instead of persons
salespeople
—often used attributivelypeople skills
3
plural
: the members of a family or kinship
4
plural
: the mass of a community as distinguished from a special class
disputes between the people and the nobles
—often used by Communists to distinguish Communists from other people
5
plural peoples
: a body of persons that are united by a common culture, tradition, or sense of kinship, that typically have common language, institutions, and beliefs, and that often constitute a politically organized group
6
: lower animals usually of a specified kind or situation
7
: the body of enfranchised citizens of a state
peopled; peopling
ˈpē-p(ə-)liŋ 
Synonyms
Examples of people in a Sentence
Noun
People can be really cruel sometimes.
People think the coach should be fired.
She tends to annoy people.
People say it's impossible, but I'm still going to try.
a book for young people
a people who migrated across the Bering Strait
the native peoples of Mexico
Verb
a science-fiction novel about a mission to people Mars
Recent Examples on the Web
Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
Scientists know now that the stealthy menace originated in east Asia and was probably spread inadvertently by people to every continent except Antarctica.
—Martin J. Kernan, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2024
Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024
But unlike Michelangelo, who was known for his muscular figures, Butcher peopled his chapel with his signature sprites.
—Penelope Green, Baltimore Sun, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for people 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Authorities are investigating a shooting that left two people injured early Saturday morning in Union City.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
Scientists know now that the stealthy menace originated in east Asia and was probably spread inadvertently by people to every continent except Antarctica.
—Martin J. Kernan, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2024
Verb
Our ancestors peopled the most lonesome reaches of the globe, from Hawaii to Easter Island, in the span of just a few thousand years.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024
But unlike Michelangelo, who was known for his muscular figures, Butcher peopled his chapel with his signature sprites.
—Penelope Green, Baltimore Sun, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for people
Articles Related to people
Dictionary Entries Near people
Cite this Entry
“People.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/people. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
people
1 of 2 noun
peo·ple
ˈpē-pəl
plural people
1
plural
: human beings, persons
—often used in compounds instead of persons
salespeople
2
plural
: the members of a family : kindred
3
plural
: the mass of a community as distinguished from a special class
4
plural peoples
: a body of persons united by a common culture, tradition, or sense of kinship, and usually language
5
: the body of voters of a state
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share