Hoi polloi (Ancient Greek: οἱ πολλοί, hoi polloi, “the many”), an expression meaning "the many", or in the strictest sense, "the majority" in Greek, is used in English to refer to the working class, commoners, "the masses" or "common people" in a derogatory sense. Synonyms for "hoi polloi" which also express the same or similar contempt for such people include "the great unwashed", "the plebeians" or "plebs", "the rabble", "riff-raff", "the herd", "the proles", and "peons".
The phrase became known to English scholars probably from Pericles' Funeral Oration, as mentioned in Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War. Pericles uses it in a positive way when praising the Athenian democracy, contrasting it with hoi oligoi, "the few" (Greek: οἱ ὀλίγοι, see also oligarchy)
Its current English usage originated in the early 19th century, a time when it was generally accepted that one must be familiar with Greek and Latin in order to be considered well educated. The phrase was originally written in Greek letters. Knowledge of these languages served to set apart the speaker from hoi polloi in question, who were not similarly educated.
Read more about Hoi Polloi: Pronunciation, Usage, Appearances in The Nineteenth Century, Appearances in The Twentieth Century, Appearances in The Twenty-first Century