Townspeople are the people who live in a particular town. When a story mentions “the townspeople gathered in the square,” it means the residents of that town came together. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the townspeople of Maycomb include shopkeepers, teachers, farmers, and families who all know each other from living in the same small community.

The word often appears when talking about a group of residents acting together or sharing something in common. If a new factory opens, it might provide jobs for the townspeople. If a parade comes through, the townspeople line the streets to watch. When a problem affects everyone in town, like a water shortage, or when there's a celebration like a festival, you'd say it affects or involves the townspeople.

Townspeople emphasizes the collective identity of a town's residents rather than thinking of them as separate individuals. It's similar to words like citizens or residents, but it specifically evokes the feeling of a town community where people often know their neighbors and share a local identity. The singular form, townsperson, exists but is rarely used; people usually talk about townspeople as a group.