ordinary people
The general public
Ordinary people are those without special rank, status, wealth, or distinction—the general population as opposed to elites, experts, or the powerful.
The phrase often carries democratic or populist connotations, implying authenticity or common sense: Politicians claim to speak for ordinary people.
It can also suggest limitations: Ordinary people can't afford that.
- everymanOrdinary representative person
- common manTypical ordinary citizen
- working classManual laborers collectively
- laypersonNon-specialist or unordained person
- commonerNon-noble person
salt of the earth · regular folks · wage earner · nine to five · employee · hoi polloi · folk hero · laborer · taxpayer · breadwinner · masses · middle class · Main Street · little guy · plain folks · narrator · citizen · average Joe
- populacethe masses, common folk, general public, hoi polloi, everyman
- Slice of Lifedaily routines, small talk, morning coffee, grocery shopping, waiting rooms
- realistic fictionliterary fiction, contemporary fiction, social realism, slice of life, family saga
- nonexpertslaymen, laypeople, laypersons, laywomen, laity
- non-expertsamateurs, beginners, novices, laypeople, non-experts
- workersworkers, employee, employees, laborer, laborers
ordinary peoplecelebrities
Well-known public figures
famous people · stars · public figures · household names · A-listers
ordinary peoplethe elite
Most powerful group
elites · the upper class · high society · the one percent · nobility
ordinary peoplepower brokers
Hidden political influencers
movers and shakers · decision-makers · world leaders · the powers that be · captains of industry
people, person, ordinary, extraordinary, ordinarily, peoples, ordinariness, peopled, peopling