townspeople

plural noun

towns·​peo·​ple ˈtau̇nz-ˌpē-pəl How to pronounce townspeople (audio)
1
: the inhabitants of a town or city : townsmen
2
: town-dwelling or town-bred persons

Examples of townspeople in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Phoenix’s sheriff is baffled by mask policies and the apparent hysteria among the townspeople, while Pascal’s mayor is toeing the line (while also making dubious business deals with big tech to build a data center on the town’s outskirts). Thomas Page, CNN Money, 17 May 2025 When the flamboyant Henry Paget arrives in 1890s North Wales from France to claim his aristocratic inheritance, his theatrical flair and defiant eccentricities send shockwaves through the upper-class elite, much to the amusement of the local townspeople. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 6 May 2025 Orange-pink clouds, drifting all over Eastern Europe, hang in the sky above the town, exuding both beauty and terror; TV and radio programs offer safety tips; the townspeople take iodine pills and fight strange aches and pains. Devika Girish, New York Times, 2 May 2025 But one notable scene remains the same: The townspeople of the fictional Giancaldo, partly filmed in a dusty location in Sicily, assemble to watch their historic but neglected Cinema Paradiso theater fall to dynamite. Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for townspeople

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of townspeople was in 1587

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Cite this Entry

“Townspeople.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/townspeople. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

townspeople

plural noun
towns·​peo·​ple ˈtau̇nz-ˌpē-pəl How to pronounce townspeople (audio)
: the people who live in a town or city

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