noun pl. peoples -·ples

1. 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
2. Archaic a group of creatures the ant people

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

plural noun

1. person (sense )
2. the persons belonging to a certain place, community, or class the people of Iowa, people of wealth
3. 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.
4. the members of (someone's) class, occupation, set, race, tribe, etc. the miner spoke for his people
5. one's relatives or ancestors; family
6. persons without wealth, influence, privilege, or distinction; members of the populace
7. the citizens or electorate of a state
8. persons considered indefinitely people are funny
9. human beings, as distinct from other animals

transitive verb peopled -·pled, peopling -·pling

Etymology: Fr peupler < the n.