People

Alternate meaning: People (magazine)

In general, the English word people refers to a specific group of humans, or to persons in a general sense.

A people may also be a group of humans which possess a common characteristic, for example nationality, skin colour or a common culture. For example, the Christian Bible refers to the people of Moses. The individuals of are assumed to share values and beliefs and be aware of the fact that they are part of the group. In practice, it is often hard to define such a group precisely.

Because of the intuitive strength of this concept, it has often been used as a basis for various arguments trying to promote one issue or another. In the West, a notable example is the German Nazi Party's propaganda against the Jews in the 1930s and 1940s.

See also: Ethnic group, Lists of people