as in public
the body of the community as contrasted with the elite
"I pay no attention to the opinions of the hoi polloi," the writer sniffed
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Recent Examples of hoi polloi
Colbert has sober Catholic suits and an in-studio audience of the local hoi polloi.
—
Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 15 July 2025
Because Tesla owners are always telling me how the EV hoi polloi (non-Tesla world) are tethered to an inferior public charging network.
—Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
Dog breeding began in order to segregate what were seen as the best exemplars of the species from the canid hoi polloi.
—Alexandra Horowitz, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
Several public boat ramps scattered around the lake give the hoi polloi access.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for hoi polloi
Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 15 July 2025
Because Tesla owners are always telling me how the EV hoi polloi (non-Tesla world) are tethered to an inferior public charging network.
—Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
Dog breeding began in order to segregate what were seen as the best exemplars of the species from the canid hoi polloi.
—Alexandra Horowitz, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
Several public boat ramps scattered around the lake give the hoi polloi access.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for hoi polloi
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoi polloi
people
Plural Noun
-
The Post’s second bet is on the viability of text at a moment when fewer people are reading articles online, and as tech platforms are cannibalizing search traffic and directing users away from news.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
-
In the first few weeks of 2026, three people were shot and killed by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents, prompting nationwide outrage and calls for the agency to be defunded and for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to be abolished.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hoi polloi.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoi%20polloi. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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