people 1 of 2

plural noun

ˈpē-pəl How to pronounce people (audio)
Definition of peoplenext
1
as in world
human beings in general despite the horrors she witnessed, Anne Frank never lost her faith in people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in populace
the body of the community as contrasted with the elite tensions mounted until the people rose up in rebellion

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in family
a group of persons who come from the same ancestor introduced my new boyfriend to my people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

people

2 of 2

verb

as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants a science-fiction novel about a mission to people Mars

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of people
Plural noun
O’Brien and his wife, Kathy, took a tour with a small group of people, watched a video and heard some speeches. — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026 Californians will experience less daylight in the evenings and more natural light when people are most active. — Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Verb
The characters who people the novel rise to speak for themselves. — Literary Hub, 16 Apr. 2026 The paradox of this quartet of movies up for the new casting Oscar, all boldly peopled with nonprofessionals, is that this very practice has become professionalized. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for people
Recent Examples of Synonyms for people
  1. inhabit
  2. populate
Verb
  • Unfortunately for Luca, the camera is inhabited by a demon that forces him to continue a murderous ritual started decades ago by a satanist serial killer (the titular Madison).
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
  • To protect the rights of immigrant children, teachers must clearly inhabit their role as the reliable adult.
    — Hannah Harshe, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of inhabit
Verb
  • Parks and gardens are woven into every neighborhood; check out the shocking-pink Portland Street micro park spliced between tenements in Yau Ma Tei; Victoria Park in Causeway Bay; and Kowloon Park, which has a lake populated by real-life flamingos.
    — Lee Cobaj, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Lots of really neat features (like easily updating dates and automatically populating a watchlist).
    — David Pierce, The Verge, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of populate

Browse Nearby Words

peons
people
peopled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“People.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/people. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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