‘群众’ (qún zhòng) literally combines ‘群’ (qún), meaning ‘group’ or ‘flock’, and ‘众’ (zhòng), meaning ‘many people’ or ‘the masses’. Together, they form a formal, collective noun referring to the general public or ordinary people—especially in political, social, or organizational contexts. It carries a neutral-to-positive connotation, often implying grassroots participation or shared civic identity, and is frequently used in official discourse, media reports, and community announcements.

The term avoids individual focus and emphasizes unity, common interest, or collective action. While historically prominent in socialist rhetoric, it remains widely used today in everyday settings—such as public service notices, volunteer campaigns, or cultural events—to refer to non-specialist, non-authority members of society. Unlike more colloquial terms like ‘大家’ (dàjiā, ‘everyone’) or ‘老百姓’ (lǎobǎixìng, ‘common folk’), ‘群众’ sounds slightly more formal and institutional, but not archaic or overly stiff in modern usage.