my people

Meanings

1. 1phraseplural

   the group of people I belong to, especially my family, ethnic group, or community

   Grammar: Takes a plural verb: my people are … It is not used for one person.

   Patterns

   • my people are …
   • one of my people
   • the leader of my people

   My people have lived in this valley for generations.

   She said she was proud of her people and their traditions.

   He returned to his homeland to help his people.

2. 2phrasepluralinformal

   the friends or group of people I feel close to and understand well

   Grammar: Often used in informal speech to mean 'my kind of people' or 'my friends'.

   Patterns

   • my people
   • you're my people
   • find my people

   At that party I finally felt like I was among my people.

   These are my people — we've known each other since school.

   She moved to the city and quickly found her people.

Common combinations

my people

My people always celebrate the new year together.

one of my people

He is one of my people, so I trust him.

my kind of people

They are my kind of people — relaxed and friendly.

help my people

She went back to help her people.

Synonyms and how they differ

family

Family usually means your relatives; 'my people' can mean your ethnic group or community, not just relatives.

community

Community is a more formal word for a group that shares something; 'my people' is more personal and emotional.

folks

Folks is informal and often means your parents or family; 'my people' can be wider, including your whole group.

Word family

people noun

human beings in general, or a group of them

Commonly confused: my people or peoples?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “my people”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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