What does hoi polloi mean?

Definitions for hoi polloi
ˈhɔɪ pəˈlɔɪhoi pol·loi

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word hoi polloi.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. multitude, masses, mass, hoi polloi, people, the great unwashednoun

    the common people generally

    "separate the warriors from the mass"; "power to the people"

Wiktionary

  1. hoi polloinoun

    The common people; the masses. (Used with or without the definite article.)

  2. hoi polloinoun

    The elite (hoi oligoi).

Wikipedia

  1. Hoi polloi

    Hoi polloi (; from Ancient Greek οἱ πολλοί (hoi polloí) 'the many') is an expression from Greek that means "the many" or, in the strictest sense, "the people". In English, it has been given a negative connotation to signify the masses. Synonyms for hoi polloi include "the plebs" (plebeians), "the rabble", "the masses", "the great unwashed", "riffraff", and "the proles" (proletarians).The phrase probably became known to English scholars through Pericles' Funeral Oration, as mentioned in Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War. Pericles uses it in a positive way when praising the Athenian democracy, contrasting it with hoi oligoi, "the few" (Greek: οἱ ὀλίγοι; see also oligarchy).Its current English usage originated in the early 19th century, a time when it was generally accepted that one must be familiar with Greek and Latin in order to be considered well educated. The phrase was originally written in Greek letters. Knowledge of these languages served to set apart the speaker from hoi polloi in question, who were not similarly educated.

ChatGPT

  1. hoi polloi

    "Hoi polloi" is a term derived from Greek, meaning "the many" or "the majority." In English, it is often used to refer to the masses or common people in a society, as opposed to the elite or upper class.

Wikidata

  1. Hoi polloi

    Hoi polloi, a Greek expression meaning "the many" or, in the strictest sense, "the majority", is used in English to refer to the working class, commoners, the masses or common people in a derogatory sense. Synonyms for hoi polloi which also express the same or similar contempt for such people include "the great unwashed", "the plebeians" or "plebs", "the rabble", "riff-raff", "the herd", "the proles" and "peons". The phrase became known to English scholars probably from Pericles' Funeral Oration, as mentioned in Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War. Pericles uses it in a positive way when praising the Athenian democracy, contrasting it with hoi oligoi, "the few" Its current English usage originated in the early 19th century, a time when it was generally accepted that one must be familiar with Greek and Latin in order to be considered well educated. The phrase was originally written in Greek letters. Knowledge of these languages served to set apart the speaker from hoi polloi in question, who were not similarly educated.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of hoi polloi in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of hoi polloi in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3


Translations for hoi polloi

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"hoi polloi." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/hoi+polloi>.

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