population

noun

pop·​u·​la·​tion ˌpä-pyə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce population (audio)
1
a
: the whole number of people or inhabitants in a country or region
b
: the total of individuals occupying an area or making up a whole
c
: the total of particles at a particular energy level
used especially of atoms in a laser
2
: the act or process of populating
3
a
: a body of persons or individuals having a quality or characteristic in common
b(1)
: the organisms inhabiting a particular locality
(2)
: a group of interbreeding organisms that represents the level of organization at which speciation begins
4
: a group of individual persons, objects, or items from which samples are taken for statistical measurement
populational adjective

Examples of population in a Sentence

The world's population has increased greatly. The city has experienced an increase in population. There has been a sharp reduction in the bat population in this region. the rural population of America
Recent Examples on the Web At Dupont Manual High, 19% of the school population. Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 22 Mar. 2024 Though many of the cities tackling chronic homelessness through the Built for Zero initiative have populations under one million, some larger counties – including California's San Diego and Sacramento counties, and Nassau County in New York – are also part of the movement. Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for population 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'population.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin population-, populatio, from Latin populus

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of population was in 1612

Dictionary Entries Near population

Cite this Entry

“Population.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/population. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

population

noun
pop·​u·​la·​tion ˌpäp-yə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce population (audio)
1
: the whole number of people living in a country or region
2
: the act or process of populating
3
: a group of one or more species of organisms living in a particular area or habitat

Medical Definition

population

noun
pop·​u·​la·​tion ˌpäp-yə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce population (audio)
1
: the whole number of people or inhabitants in a country or region
2
a
: a body of persons or individuals having a quality or characteristic in common
b(1)
: the organisms inhabiting a particular locality
(2)
: a group of interbreeding organisms that represents the level of organization at which speciation begins
3
: a group of individual persons, objects, or items from which samples are taken for statistical measurement

More from Merriam-Webster on population

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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