the people

1 of 2

noun (1)

: the ordinary people in a country who do not have special power or privileges

She is well-liked as a senator because she listens to the people.

the common people

the People

2 of 2

noun (2)

US, law

—used to refer to the government of the U.S. or of a particular state in the name of a legal case

The People vs. John Doe

Examples of the people in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Not paying attention during the safety demonstration, 66% Exiting the plane before the people in the row in front of you, 65%. —

Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 5 Aug. 2024 The car show organization says the people in the video have since been identified Content warning: The following article contains descriptions of racist hate speech. —

Corin Cesaric, Peoplemag, 5 Aug. 2024 The sheriff is the last stance against the federal government to protect the rights of the people. —

Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024 Even as the people around her struggled to pull her from the water, other swimmers just down the coast waded into the water, unaware of what was coming. —

Rick Jervis, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for the people

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the people.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.