The inhabitants of an area (8)

I believe the answer is:

populace

(Other definitions for populace that I've seen before include "General public" , "People generally" , "Common people" , "Citizens" , "Residents" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.