those people

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English

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Noun

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those people pl (plural only)

  1. (derogatory) Any outsiders of a clique.
  2. Members of a particular group, collectively.
    Drawing the rhetorical distinction between the "people like yourselves" at the overwhelmingly white rally and "those people" protesting was, needless to say, a provocative framing of the issue.
    The country would be much better off, in his opinion, if "those people" (the term he used in his speech) just went somewhere and shut up.

Usage notes

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  • In the United States, this expression, however intended by the speaker, has sometimes been interpreted as indicative of racism when used in discourse with those of a race different from the speaker's, or of discrimination on an ethnic or religious basis in analogous situations.

See also

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