[noun] [U + singular or plural verb] [formal] - the populace the ordinary people who live in a particular country or placeDuring the first days of the revolution, the populace took to the streets and set up barricades.Some studies show that workers in the nuclear industry are more likely than the general populace to get cancer.
POPULACE
Meaning of POPULACE in English
Cambridge English vocab. Кембриджский английский словарь. 2012