The word "群众" is formed by combining two characters: "群" and "众". "群" is composed of "君" (meaning ruler or leader) and "羊" (meaning sheep), historically representing a flock led by a ruler, thus conveying the idea of a group. "众" consists of three "人" (meaning person), visually depicting multiple people, meaning a crowd or multitude. Together, "群众" literally compounds these meanings to refer to a group of people or the masses, with each character reinforcing the concept of a collective.