noun
the poor; paupers
Formal or literary term for poor people, often used in historical or sociological contexts. Not a casual everyday word.
19世紀のロンドンでは、細民の生活環境は極めて劣悪だった。
In 19th-century London, the living conditions of the poor were extremely harsh.
この小説は、都会の細民の姿を克明に
This novel vividly depicts the lives of the urban poor.