townspeople

plural noun

towns·​peo·​ple ˈtau̇nz-ˌpē-pəl How to pronounce townspeople (audio)
Synonyms of townspeoplenext
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.
Though Diestel went on to make clear that no one was proposing to turn bedrooms into brothels, introducing sexuality into a sacred context was enough to shake the little world of interconnected townspeople. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Suspicious of the unusually quiet townspeople, Reacher sticks around to help Chang with an investigation that involves a disturbing note about 200 deaths, a Los Angeles journalist, and the deep web. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Aug. 2026 The conflict whose memory the townspeople fled to leave behind. — Téa Obreht, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026 The teams were the townspeople, clapping for a wardrobe nobody could actually see. — Jeremy MacLiver, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for townspeople

See All Rhymes for townspeople

Browse Nearby Words

townsman
townspeople
Townsville
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Cite this Entry

“Townspeople.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/townspeople. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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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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