noun
- the common people; the masses (often used disparagingly)
Usage: formal; sometimes derogatory
Examples
- The aristocrat dismissed the protesters as mere canaille.
- He spoke contemptuously of the canaille who filled the streets.
- The revolution was led by what the nobles called the canaille.
- She refused to associate with what she considered the canaille.
- The term canaille reflects the speaker’s disdain for ordinary people.
- Political leaders should serve all citizens, not just dismiss them as canaille.