pl.n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)
- People or society at a local level rather than at the center of major political activity. Often used with the.
- The groundwork or source of something.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
