- [plural] human beings; men, women and children The plural form persons is formal. Use people in most ordinary contexts.
- At least ten people were killed in the crash.
- There were a lot of people at the party.
- Many young people are out of work.
- older people
- They are just ordinary people.
- Millions of working people are struggling.
- It is important to involve local people in the project.
- poor/rich people
- people of faith (= people who are religious)
Extra Examples- Many innocent people were killed.
- The local tourist board is trying to attract more people to the town.
- a line of limousines carrying very important people
- access for disabled people
- Working-class people in general get a bad deal from the legal system.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- young
- elderly
- old
- …
- meet
- attract
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- [plural] humans in general; everyone
- We want to change the way people think.
- People want fresh, local food.
- He wanted to help people fulfil their potential.
- She tends to annoy people.
Extra Examples- We encourage people to contact us.
- He doesn't care what people think of him.
- In the past, people were told to change their eating habits and they went on a diet.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- young
- elderly
- old
- …
- meet
- attract
- [countable] all the people who live in a particular place or belong to a particular country, ethnic group, etc.
- the American/French people
- black/white people
- people of colour (= people who are not white)
- the indigenous peoples of Mexico
Extra Examples- We should strive for peace among the peoples of the world.
- The organization campaigns for the rights of tribal peoples.
- The caribou have traditionally been hunted by indigenous peoples in the area.
- The book contains translations of folk poetry of the Slav peoples.
- He researched the customs of the primitive peoples of the Amazon Basin.
- the culture of the Basque people
- These artists derived much of their imagery from the art of so-called primitive peoples.
- The EU was intended to unite the peoples of Europe.
- I was elected to represent the people of Bristol.
- the native peoples of Siberia
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- local
- country
- indigenous
- …
- represent
- bring together
- unite
- …
- the peoples of the world
- [plural] men and women who work in a particular type of job or are involved in a particular area of activity
- a meeting with business people and bankers
- These garments are intended for professional sports people.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- young
- elderly
- old
- …
- meet
- attract
- the people[plural] the ordinary citizens of a country rather than those who govern or have a special position in society
- the life of the common people
- It was felt that the government was no longer in touch with the people.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- young
- elderly
- old
- …
- meet
- attract
- somebody's people [plural] (literary) the men, women and children that a person leads
- The king urged his people to prepare for war.
- the story of the Zulu leader who died while attempting to free his people
- somebody's people [plural] the men and women who work for you or support you
- I've had my people watching the house for a few days.
- Our people are all highly trained and motivated.
- [plural] (informal) guests or friends
- I'm having people to dinner this evening.
- [plural] (old-fashioned) the men, women and children that you are closely related to, especially your parents, grandparents, etc.
- She's spending the holidays with her people.
see also boat people, street people, tradespeople
Word OriginMiddle English: from Anglo-Norman French poeple, from Latin populus ‘populace’.
Idioms
See people in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee people in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishbe all things to all men/people
- (of people) to please everyone by changing your attitudes or opinions to suit different people
- (of things) to be understood or used in different ways by different people
a man/woman of the people
- (especially of a politician) a man/woman who understands and supports ordinary people
- He is not only a statesman, but also a man of the people.
of all people
- when you say of all people, you are emphasizing that somebody is the person you would most or least expect to do something
- She of all people should know the answer to that.
people (who live) in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
- (saying) you should not criticize other people, because they will easily find ways of criticizing you
Check pronunciation:
people