Populace, n.
Etymology: [F. populace, fr. It. popolaccio, popolazzo, fr. popolo people, L. populus. See People.]
The common people; the vulgar; the multitude, -- comprehending all persons not distinguished by rank, office, education, or profession. Pope. To . . . calm the peers and please the populace. Daniel. They . . . call us Britain's barbarous populaces. Tennyson.
Syn. -- Mob; people; commonalty.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for populace; he lists it under mob.
Where he writes about it:
The populace are poor and ignorant, but may be law-abiding; a mob is disorderly and lawless, but may be rich and influential. — from mob
Antonyms
none given