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People are those belonging to a place, religion, nation, race, language, class or culture.

(noun)

An example of people is those living on the east coast.
An example of people is Christians.
An example of people is Italians.
An example of people is Caucasians.
An example of people is Spanish-speaking.
An example of people is wealthy.
An example of people is vegetarian.

See people in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun pl. peoples

1. all the persons of a racial, national, religious, or linguistic group; nation, race, etc.: the peoples of the world
2. a group of persons with common traditional, historical, or cultural ties, as distinct from racial or political unity: the Jewish people
Archaic a group of creatures: the ant people

Origin: ME peple < Anglo-Fr poeple, people < OFr pople < L populus, nation, crowd < ?

plural noun

person (sense )
the persons belonging to a certain place, community, or class: the people of Iowa, people of wealth
the members of a group under the leadership, influence, or control of a particular person or body, as members of a group of servants, royal subjects, etc.
the members of (someone's) class, occupation, set, race, tribe, etc.: the miner spoke for his people
one's relatives or ancestors; family
persons without wealth, influence, privilege, or distinction; members of the populace
the citizens or electorate of a state
persons considered indefinitely: people are funny
human beings, as distinct from other animals

transitive verb peopled, peopling

to fill with or as with people; populate; stock

Origin: Fr peupler < the n.

-person

See people in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. people

Humans considered as a group or in indefinite numbers: People were dancing in the street. I met all sorts of people.
A body of persons living in the same country under one national government; a nationality.
pl. peo·ples A body of persons sharing a common religion, culture, language, or inherited condition of life.
Persons with regard to their residence, class, profession, or group: city people.
The mass of ordinary persons; the populace. Used with the: “those who fear and distrust the people, and wish to draw all powers from them into the hands of the higher classes” (Thomas Jefferson).
The citizens of a political unit, such as a nation or state; the electorate. Used with the.
Persons subordinate to or loyal to a ruler, superior, or employer: The queen showed great compassion for her people.
Family, relatives, or ancestors.
Informal Animals or other beings distinct from humans: Rabbits and squirrels are the furry little people of the woods.

transitive verb peo·pled, peo·pling, peo·ples

To furnish with or as if with people; populate.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English peple

Origin: , from Old French pueple

Origin: , from Latin populus

Origin: , of Etruscan origin

Related Forms:

peoˈpler noun

Usage Note: As a term meaning “a body of persons sharing a culture,” people is a singular noun, as in As a people the Pueblo were noteworthy for their peacefulness. Its plural is peoples: the many and varied peoples of West Africa. But when used to mean “humans,” people is plural and has no corresponding singular form. English is not unique in this respect; Spanish, Italian, Russian, and many other languages have a plural word meaning “people” that has no singular. Some grammarians have insisted that people is a collective noun that should not be used as a substitute for persons when referring to a specific number of individuals. By this thinking, it is correct to say Six persons were arrested, not Six people were arrested. But people has always been used in such contexts, and almost no one makes the distinction anymore. Persons is still preferred in legal contexts, however, as in Vehicles containing fewer than three persons may not use the left lane during rush hours. Only the singular person is used in compounds involving a specific numeral: a six-person car; a two-person show. But people is used in other compounds: people mover; people power. These examples are exceptions to the general rule that plural nouns cannot be used in such compounds; note that we do not say teethpaste or books-burning. See Usage Note at man.

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