Meaning

noun (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

noun the body of citizens of a state or country

noun members of a family line

originFrom Middle English puple, peple, peeple, from Anglo-Norman people, from Old French pueple, peuple, pople, from Latin populus (“a people, nation”), from Old Latin populus, from earlier poplus, from even earlier poplos, from Proto-Italic *poplos (“army”) of unknown origin. Doublet of pueblo. Gradually ousted native English lede and, partially, folk. Originally used with singular verbs (e.g. "the…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0