The phrase “the people” refers to the general population or citizens of a particular place or group. Some synonyms for “the people” are “the masses”, “the public”, “the citizenry”, and “the populace”.
“The masses” emphasizes the large number of ordinary people. For example, “The leader addressed the masses at the rally.” This shows that the leader was speaking to a large gathering of ordinary citizens.
“The public” refers to the people in general, especially as consumers or audiences. “The new museum is open to the public.” Here, it means that the museum is accessible to all people.
“The citizenry” specifically refers to the citizens of a country or city. “The government should listen to the concerns of the citizenry.” This indicates that the government should take into account the opinions and needs of the people who are citizens.
“The populace” is another term for the people as a whole. “The disease affected a large portion of the populace.” This shows that the disease had an impact on a significant number of people.