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everyman

everyman

16 5.4
An ordinary person who most people can identify with
  • noun
  • /ˈɛvriˌmæn/
  • Literature
translation icon : hombre corriente
  • This thing is for the everyman.
  • everyman and woman

And you know what Joe's thing is, is that Joe is the everyman.

Examples

  • Positioning herself as the "everyman," Eliott emphasized the power that regular citizens have during emergencies.

    Blog text (3)
  • No, John Q. Public, John and Jane Doe, Mr. Everyman.

  • I fully own the everyman part of my journey.

  • It's what we might call an everyman, an ordinary person.

  • Because I just think it would be better to be slightly more of an everyman.

  • This tragedy... touched the everyman.

  • I think Carrell plays a great everyman character, and he was perfect for this role.

    Blog text (19)
  • Sue, your words, based on the everyman's experiences, are powerful in their truth, simplicity, and honesty.

    Blog text (30)
  • Rotund and generally rumpled, Dunham brought an appealing everyman quality to a case burdened by the weight of history.

    Academic text (2007)
  • In the movie, the main character is an everyman who faces the same struggles as many of us.

Synonyms

common man
vseveryman
30 2.0

An ordinary man without a title, rank, or special rights

is more about a typical person for easy identification, not social rank
average guy
vseveryman
  • Informal
15 1.8

A regular man with no special skills or fame

is a general label for any typical person regardless of gender
Joe
vseveryman
  • Informal
10 2.5

A regular man who stands for the average person

is the inclusive term for any typical person, not only males
man on the street
vseveryman
10 2.7

An ordinary person who is not an expert

is the broader idea of someone most people can identify with
man in the street
vseveryman
  • Literature
5 3.4

A regular person who shows the views of most people

is the general, relatable person rather than an opinion representative
common person
vseveryman
1 1.4

A person who has no title and is an ordinary member of society

is the inclusive everyday example most people can easily identify with
Joe Average
vseveryman
  • Informal
1 5.2

A typical person with no special skills or fame

is about a person most people can easily identify with
Joe Schmoe
vseveryman
  • Slang
7.9

A name people use for an ordinary, typical man

is the neutral label for a typical person without joking tone

How Typical

ordinary
5 2.0
everyman
  • Literature
16 5.4
eccentric
1 7.0

Surface Forms

everyman singular
everymen plural

Morphology

everyman = every + man (semi-transparent) = every + man

The components 'every' and 'man' are clear, but the lexicalized noun 'everyman' meaning 'an ordinary typical person' is a conventionalized sense not fully predictable from the determiner+noun combination.

Etymology

Everyman comes from the simple parts every and man, literally 'every man'. In a well-known old play a character called Everyman stood for 'all people', so today an everyman is an ordinary, typical person who represents the hopes and fears of most people.