Although shomin generally referred to hyakusho-myoshu (the cultivators/owners of rice fields) or zaike-jumin (lay believers/practioners of Buddhism), in the later generations, the term also included the cultivators of isshikiden (partially exempt fields) or sanden (deteriorated rice fields) as well as shoju (retainers) and genin (servants who served their masters as slaves).
一般的には百姓名主や在家住人を指すが、後世には荘民から排除されていた一色田や散田の作人や所従・下人なども含まれる例も現れる。