townspeople

plural noun

towns·​peo·​ple ˈtau̇nz-ˌpē-pəl 

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

Flashbacks to recent events reveal that the townspeople never let Hal find peace, and even firebombed his home, only for a grown-up Noah — Kerry’s son, and Zoe’s grandson — to save him and regenerate his skin using Zoe’s covert alien tech. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

But some townspeople have been outspoken in their opposition to drone delivery. — Neal Riley, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

The story might have at least a modicum of suspense if any of the upstanding townspeople were seen as struggling with the idea of murdering a trusted friend. — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

Among townspeople interviewed by The Bee in August, suspicions over the poisonings centered on the idea that a homeowner, and probably a wealthy one, was trying to improve their vista at the expense of both the trees and beach goers. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for townspeople

• people
• steeple
• businesspeople
• craftspeople
• laypeople
• salespeople
• tradespeople
• workpeople

Kids Definition

townspeople

plural noun

towns·​peo·​ple ˈtau̇nz-ˌpē-pəl 

: the people who live in a town or city