people 1 of 2

Definition of peoplenext

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
Eleven people were stabbed inside a juvenile detention center in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx on Sunday, police said. Elle McLogan, CBS News, 22 June 2026 With Casa Amor coming up, seems like a lot of people may be getting fries for the table. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 June 2026
Verb
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 Why can’t people RSVP properly for goodness’ sake? Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for people
Recent Examples of Synonyms for people
Verb
  • The Tohono O’odham had inhabited its land for hundreds of years before Mexico, through the 1854 Gadsden Purchase, ceded some of it to the United States.
    Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
  • Butterflies belonging to the Heliconius genus, which inhabit the tropical rainforests of South and Central America, have lifespans that vary wildly.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Plenty of those who populate that category are championed instead of criticized.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2026
  • What struck me most in Satrapi’s rendering of the veil—and of Islam itself—was her refusal to settle for the literal or flattened stereotypes that so often populate Western narratives.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“People.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/people. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

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