hoi polloi

plural noun

hoi pol·​loi ˌhȯi-pə-ˈlȯi 

1

: the general populace : masses

2

: people of distinction or wealth or elevated social status : elite

Usage and Meanings of Hoi Polloi

Since hoi polloi is a transliteration of the Greek for "the many," some critics have asserted that the phrase should not be preceded by the. They find "the hoi polloi" to be redundant, equivalent to "the the many"—an opinion that fails to recognize that hoi means nothing at all in English. Nonetheless, the opinion has influenced the omission of the in the usage of some writers.

Family-owned businesses that select their CEOs from all family members fare no worse than companies that select talent from hoi polloi.

—The Wilson Quarterly

But most writers use the, which is normal English grammar.

A third, more readily acceptable innovation, was the new taste for whiskey as a drink, first for the hoi polloi and ultimately for the gentry.

—Jacques Barzun

… rented mainly to corporations to allow their VIPs air-conditioned splendor high above the hoi polloi.

—James B. Twitchell

A number of critics also warn against the use of hoi polloi in sense 2, a sense that directly contradicts its original meaning. The sense is not commonly covered in dictionaries, but it does appear—albeit rarely—in published, edited text, as it has since the mid-20th century.

… I could fly over to Europe and join the rich hoi polloi, at Monte Carlo.

—Westbrook Pegler

Most of the hoi polloi and VIPs who move and shake New York went first to a book party for Time's former headman, Henry Grunwald, in the New York Public Library.

—Liz Smith

We first heard of this sense in the early 1950s, when it was reported to be well established in spoken use in such diverse locales as central New Jersey, southern California, Cleveland, Ohio, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Several members of our editorial staff at that time also testified to its common occurrence, and evidence in the years since strongly suggests that this sense of hoi polloi continues to be frequently used in speech. We do not know for certain how this new sense originated, but one possibility is that it developed out of the inherent snobbery of hoi polloi. In its original and primary sense, hoi polloi is a term used by snobs or—more often—in mocking imitation of snobs. Even its sound has a quality of haughtiness and condescension (much like that of hoity-toity, a term that underwent a similar extension of meaning in the 20th century, from its former sense, "frivolous," to its current sense, "marked by an air of superiority"). It may be that people unfamiliar with the meaning of hoi polloi, but conscious of its strong associations with snobbery, misunderstood it as an arrogant term for the haves rather than a contemptuous term for the have-nots, thus giving rise to its newer, contradictory sense.

Did you know?

In Greek, hoi polloi means simply "the many". (Even though hoi itself means "the", in English we almost always say "the hoi polloi".) It comes originally from the famous Funeral Oration by Pericles, where it was actually used in a positive way. Today it's generally used by people who think of themselves as superior—though it's also sometimes used in Pericles' democratic spirit. By the way, it has no relation to hoity-toity, meaning "stuck-up", which starts with the same sound but has nothing to do with Greek.

Synonyms

• commoners
• commons
• crowd
• herd
• mass
• millions
• mob
• multitude
• people
• plebeians
• plebs
• populace
• public
• rank and file

Examples of hoi polloi in a Sentence

"I pay no attention to the opinions of the hoi polloi," the writer sniffed

Recent Examples on the Web

Megalopolis, which moves entirely among the wealthy and the famous on their elevated plane of existence, isn’t invested in the hoi polloi. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024

Dog breeding began in order to segregate what were seen as the best exemplars of the species from the canid hoi polloi. —Alexandra Horowitz, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024

Several public boat ramps scattered around the lake give the hoi polloi access. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2024

But for the vast majority of the cinematic hoi polloi, there will be that most cursed of reactions: indifference. —Zoe Guy, Vulture, 16 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Greek, the many

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1