English Meaning & Definitions
The ordinary or common people of a society, often viewed as a large, undifferentiated group.
- “The politician promised to address the concerns of the masses rather than just the wealthy elite.”
- “The invention of the printing press finally brought literature to the masses.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “the masses”.
Derived from the Latin 'massa' (lump, dough, or kneaded mass), which came from the Greek 'maza' (barley cake). In the late 18th and 19th centuries, the term evolved from a general reference to a large quantity of matter to a sociopolitical term referring to the common people, particularly the working class, as a collective body distinct from the elite or ruling class.
Think of a giant 'mass' of people moving together like a single wave of dough.
Frequently Asked Questions About “the masses”
1. What is the meaning of “the masses” in English?
In English, the masses (noun) is defined as: “The ordinary or common people of a society, often viewed as a large, undifferentiated group.”.
2. How do you use “the masses” in a sentence?
“The politician promised to address the concerns of the masses rather than just the wealthy elite.”
3. What are English synonyms of “the masses”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “the masses”?
Derived from the Latin 'massa' (lump, dough, or kneaded mass), which came from the Greek 'maza' (barley cake). In the late 18th and 19th centuries, the term evolved from a general reference to a large quantity of matter to a sociopolitical term referring to the common people, particularly the working class, as a collective body distinct from the elite or ruling class.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.