people
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Middle English peple, peeple, from Anglo-Norman people, from Old French pueple / pople (modern French peuple), from Latin populus, probably from Etruscan. Use of the term as a plural for the word person is an example of suppletion.
[edit] Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA: /ˈpiːpəl/, SAMPA: /"pi:p@l/
- (US) IPA: /ˈpipəl/, /ˈpipl̩/, SAMPA: /"pip@l/, /"pipl=/
- Audio (US)help, file
- Rhymes: -iːpəl
- Hyphenation: peo‧ple
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
people (plural common noun and collective noun (plural peoples))
- used as plural of person; a body of human beings considered generally or collectively; a group of two or more persons.
- 1813, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice:
- "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."
- 1813, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice:
- (plural peoples) Persons forming or belonging to a particular group, such as a nation, class, ethnic group, country, family, etc; folk; community.
- A group of persons regarded as being employees, followers, companions or subjects of a ruler.
- 1611, Old Testament, King James Version, 2 Samuel 8:15,
- And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.[1]
- 1952, Old Testament, Revised Standard Version, Thomas Nelson & Sons, Isaiah 1:3,
- The ox knows its owner, and the ass its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people does not understand.
- 1611, Old Testament, King James Version, 2 Samuel 8:15,
- One's colleagues or employees.
- 2001, Vince Flynn, Transfer of Power, p. 250:
- Kennedy looked down at Flood's desk and thought about the possibilities. "Can you locate him?" "I already have my people checking on all [it]."
- 2008, Fern Michaels, Hokus Pokus, p. 184:
- 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.
- 2001, Vince Flynn, Transfer of Power, p. 250:
- A person's ancestors, relatives or family.
- My people lived through the Black Plague and the Thirty Years War.
- The mass of a community as distinguished from a special class (elite); the commonalty; the populace; the vulgar; the common crowd; the citizens.
[edit] Synonyms
- (plural of person, human beings):
- (persons belonging to a group): collective, community, congregation, folk, nation, clan, tribe, race, class, caste, club
- (followers): fans, groupies, supporters
- (ancestors or relatives): kin
- (mass of a community): populace, commoners, citizenry
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
a body of human beings; a group of two or more persons
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a group of persons forming or belonging to a particular nation etc.
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a group of persons regarded as being employees etc.
a person's ancestors, relatives or family
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the mass of community as distinguished from a special class
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
[edit] Verb
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Infinitive |
Third person singular |
Simple past |
Past participle |
Present participle |
to 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.
- "He would not be alone, who all things can; / But peopled heaven with angels, earth with man." — Dryden
- (intransitive) To become populous or populated.
- (transitive) To inhabit; to occupy; to populate.
- "As thick and numberless / As the gay motes that people the sunbeams." — Milton
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
to fill with people
to become populous
to inhabit, to occupy
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
[edit] References
- people in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
[edit] French
[edit] Alternative spellings
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /pi.pɔl/
[edit] Etymology
[edit] Noun
people m. (plural peoples)
- (countable) A celebrity, a famous person.
- 2004, Emmanuel Davidenkoff and Didier Hassoux, Luc Ferry: une comédie du pouvoir, 2002–2004 (Luc Ferry: A Comedy of Power, 2002–2004), Hachette, ISBN 9782012357785,
- Le novice en politique contre le mammouth « Éducation nationale ». Ça mérite la sympathie. Et puis c’est un people. Les gens aiment et détestent à la fois. Ils sont fascinés. Le bonheur sur papier glacé. Les vacances entre Saint-Trop’, la Martinique et Deauville.
- The political novice against the mammoth "National Education". That merited sympathy. Then, too, he was a celebrity. People loved and hated at the same time. They were fascinated. Happiness on ice paper. Vacations between Saint-Tropez, Martinique, and Deauville.
- Le novice en politique contre le mammouth « Éducation nationale ». Ça mérite la sympathie. Et puis c’est un people. Les gens aiment et détestent à la fois. Ils sont fascinés. Le bonheur sur papier glacé. Les vacances entre Saint-Trop’, la Martinique et Deauville.
- 2008, Martine Delvaux, "L’égoïsme romantique de Frédéric Beigbeder" ("Frédéric Beigbeder's L’égoïsme romantique (Romantic Egotism)"), in Alain-Philippe Durand (editor), Frédéric Beigbeder et ses doubles (Frédéric Beigbeder and His Doubles), Rodopi, ISBN 978-90-420-2472-4, page 95:
- Oscar Dufresne est un people anti-people, un macho impuissant, un intellectuel qui ne dit rien d’intelligent, un faux sadique et un faux masochiste, un anti-autobiographe.
- Oscar Dufresne is a celebrity who is anti-celebrity, a powerless macho man, an intellectual who says nothing intelligent, a fake sadist and a fake masochist, an anti-autobiographer.
- Oscar Dufresne est un people anti-people, un macho impuissant, un intellectuel qui ne dit rien d’intelligent, un faux sadique et un faux masochiste, un anti-autobiographe.
- 2004, Emmanuel Davidenkoff and Didier Hassoux, Luc Ferry: une comédie du pouvoir, 2002–2004 (Luc Ferry: A Comedy of Power, 2002–2004), Hachette, ISBN 9782012357785,
[edit] Usage notes
- The French noun people is frequently italicized as a loanword, as in the quotations above.
[edit] Synonyms
- (a celebrity): célébrité, personne connue, personnalité, personnage public

