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
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.
Luckily, Alex’s wife Laura has been secretly meeting with the townspeople since moving back to Tall Pines, slowly questions and making comments that reveal the hypocrisy and dangers of Evelyn’s tactics. Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025 Dark transforms some of the townspeople as the boys try to find out the secret of the carnival. Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025 There’s a lot of conversations to be had with townspeople and the guardians, although very little of it is gripping. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025 Parker and Stone wrote in this season's debut episode a storyline where Trump sued the town of South Park for $5 billion, and Jesus Christ urges the townspeople to settle. Doha Madani, NBC news, 17 Sep. 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 5 Oct. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on townspeople

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