Etimology
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 plural since Old English times; see lēode.
noun
people (countable and uncountable, plural peoples)
plural of person: a body of persons considered generally or collectively; a group of two or more persons.
(countable, collective) Persons forming or belonging to a particular group, such as a nation, class, ethnic group, country, family, etc.
A group of persons regarded as being servants, followers, companions or subjects of a ruler or leader.
One's colleagues or employees.
A person's ancestors, relatives or family.
The mass of a community as distinguished from a special class (elite); the commonalty; the populace; the vulgar; the common crowd; the citizens.
Examples
Synonyms: peeps, lede, leod
There were so many people at the restaurant last night.
These six people are waiting for the bus.
XXII people was in this parrish drownd.
"What a charming amusement for young people this is, Mr. Darcy! There is nothing like dancing after all. I consider it as one of the first refinements of polished society."
There were many wooden chairs for the bulk of his visitors, and two wicker armchairs with red cloth cushions for superior people. From the packing-cases had emerged some Indian clubs, […], and all these articles […] made a scattered and untidy decoration that Mrs. Clough assiduously dusted and greatly cherished.
“[…] the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes like Here's rattling good luck and roaring good cheer, / With lashings of food and great hogsheads of beer. […]”
But poverty’s scourge is fiercest below $1.25 : people below that level live lives that are poor, nasty, brutish and short.
The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you […] "share the things you love with the world" and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.
Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.
Synonyms: collective, community, congregation, folk
Coordinate term: nation
a people apart
an industrious people
the indigenous peoples of Europe
the native peoples of Borneo
`So, oh Holly. This people was an old people before the Egyptians were.'
The people have spoken, the bastards.
Moses said, "Let my people go."
his people were weary
Synonyms: fans, groupies, supporters
And Dauid reigned ouer all Iſrael, and Dauid executed iudgement and iuſtice vnto all his people.
The ox knows its owner, and the ass its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people does not understand.
I'll have my people call your people.
I have my people working on it.
Kennedy looked down at Flood's desk and thought about the possibilities. "Can you locate him?""I already have my people checking on all three. So far I've only been able to confirm the whereabouts of the Jordanian officer."
Can I have one of my people get back to your people, Mr. President?" She tried to slam the phone back into the base and failed.
Synonyms: kin, kith, folks
My people lived through the Black Plague and the Thirty Years War.
His people live out west.
Synonyms: populace, commoners, citizenry
The election is over and the people have spoken.
The people won't stand for so much corruption.
verb
people (third-person singular simple present peoples, present participle peopling, simple past and past participle peopled)
(transitive) To stock with people or inhabitants; to fill as with people; to populate.
(intransitive) To become populous or populated.
(transitive) To inhabit; to occupy; to populate.
(rare, informal) To interact with people; to socialize.
Examples
He would not be alone, who all things can; / But peopled Heav'n with Angels, Earth with Man.
Scenes, long since forgotten, had been peopling his solitude with one still cherished image paramount over all; one young fair face, whose sweet eyes seemed to look upon him reproachfully:...
[…] / As thick and numberless / As the gay motes that people the Sun Beams, / […]
I don't people well.” “Not peopling well is a crap excuse,” I retorted, and started to step around him, but a sudden thought occurred to me.
My head tilted as Calvin said, "Don't worry about him. He just doesn't people well.The fuck? I people. Sometimes. With people I know.
I don't people well.” He laughed at that. “You do okay,” he assured her.