people

Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

People

The aggregate of the individuals who comprise a state or a nation.

In a more restricted sense, as generally used in Constitutional Law, the entire body of those citizens of a state or a nation who are invested with political power for political purposes (the qualified voters).

people

n. the government in a criminal prosecution, as in People v. Capone. Such a case may also be captioned State v. Davis or in federal prosecutions, United States v. Miller.

people

noun citizenry, commonality, community, community at large, country, general public, inhabitants, multitude, nation, national group, nationality, persons, populace, population, race, society, state

PEOPLE. A state; as, the people of the state of New York; a nation in its collective and political capacity. 4 T. R. 783. See 6 Pet. S. C. Rep. 467.
2. The word people occurs in a policy of insurance. The insurer insures against "detainments of all kings, princes and people." He is not by this understood to insure against any promiscuous or lawless rabble which may be guilty of attacking or detaining a ship. 2 Marsh. Ins. 508. Vide Body politic; Nation.

References in classic literature ?

Some historians- those biographical and specialist historians already referred to- in their simplicity failing to understand the question of the meaning of power, seem to consider that the collective will of the people is unconditionally transferred to historical persons, and therefore when describing some single state they assume that particular power to be the one absolute and real power, and that any other force opposing this is not a power but a violation of power- mere violence.

Recognizing the falsity of this view of history, another set of historians say that power rests on a conditional delegation of the will of the people to their rulers, and that historical leaders have power only conditionally on carrying out the program that the will of the people has by tacit agreement prescribed to them.

View in context

This intelligent people perceived and regretted these defects.

View in context

A thousand goals have there been hitherto, for a thousand peoples have there been.

View in context

Then the killing ceased, because none had now the strength to kill, and the people lay panting in heaps upon the ground, the living and the dead together.

View in context

The House of Representatives will derive its powers from the people of America; and the people will be represented in the same proportion, and on the same principle, as they are in the legislature of a particular State.

View in context

I don't need to ask," said Sergey Ivanovitch, "we have seen and are seeing hundreds and hundreds of people who give up everything to sense a just cause, come from every part of Russia, and directly and clearly express their thought and aim.

View in context

He was an old lawyer; and he could not realize that the people would do anything so utterly lawless as to assault him in his peaceful home.

View in context

Johnson was far better known than Macpherson, most people agreed with him and believed that Macpherson had told a "literary lie," and that he had made up all the stories.

View in context

There were the Fire People, many of them, looking at us and pointing at us, and more were crawling out of the caves.

View in context

The first month I spent in finding accommodations for the school, and in travelling through Alabama, examining into the actual life of the people, especially in the court districts, and in getting the school advertised among the glass of people that I wanted to have attend it.

View in context

But forgetting all the warnings of preceding ages--forgetting the lessons written in the blood of her own children, through centuries of departed time--she undertook to tax the people of the colonies without their consent.