"rakyat" means: An ordinary citizen.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
rakyat
(Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia) An ordinary citizen.
Seen in the wild
Faktor sebenar yang menentukan kemenangan adalah kepercayaan rakyat, konsistensi khidmat di lapangan serta pendekatan berteraskan kemanusiaan oleh calon dan parti, kata Pengarah Pilihan Raya PKR Selangor, #malaysiagaz…
KPK Sorot Sepatu Sekolah Rakyat Rp27 Miliar, Mensos: Ini Peringatan
Terungkap! Harga Sepatu Sekolah Rakyat Rp700 Ribu untuk Jenis PDL
Definitions
(Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia) An ordinary citizen.
"rakyat" means: An ordinary citizen.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"rakyat" means: An ordinary citizen.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
Comments
(Malaysia) The people or citizens of a country, as a collective.
“Faktor sebenar yang menentukan kemenangan adalah kepercayaan rakyat, konsistensi khidmat di lapangan serta pendekatan berteraskan kemanusiaan oleh calon dan parti, kata Pengarah Pilihan Raya PKR Selangor, #malaysiagazette”
— Bluesky· May 2026“KPK Sorot Sepatu Sekolah Rakyat Rp27 Miliar, Mensos: Ini Peringatan”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Terungkap! Harga Sepatu Sekolah Rakyat Rp700 Ribu untuk Jenis PDL”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "rakyat".
🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "rakyat" (R)
Browse all slang words starting with R.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- suaku59%
(Singapore, informal) Someone who is uneducated; a country bumpkin.
- British58%
The citizens or inhabitants of the United Kingdom.
- Johnny Citizen58%
An American expression for the average, ordinary, unremarkable member of the public — the archetypal everyman who goes about daily life without fame, power, or particular distinction. Johnny Citizen is used in discussions about policy, media, or public life to personify how laws and decisions affect regular people rather than elites or institutions. The term is somewhat dated and carries a mid-century American flavour, but it still appears in commentary that wants to humanise broad social forces by putting a name to the crowd.
- kampung57%
(Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore) A traditional village.