populous

adjective

pop·​u·​lous ˈpä-pyə-ləs 

1

a

: densely populated

b

: having a large population

2

a

: numerous

b

: filled to capacity

populously adverb

populousness noun

Did you know?

With a metropolitan area of more than 20 million people, Mexico City could be called the world's second or third most populous city. And the nearby Aztec city of Tenochtitlán was one of the largest cities in the world even when Hernán Cortés arrived there in 1519. But by the time Cortés conquered the city in 1521 it wasn't nearly so populous, since European diseases had greatly reduced the population. Avoid confusing populous and populace, which are pronounced exactly the same.

Examples of populous in a Sentence

the most populous state in the U.S.

Recent Examples on the Web

Jaishankar offered India's help to bring a resolution to the crisis, highlighting its good relations with all parties and the important relationships the world's most populous country had through trade and migrant workers with the countries of the Middle East. —Jennifer Cunningham, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025

The 1988 drama, which depicted the daily lives of children living in slums in India’s most populous city, was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA. —Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 25 June 2025

Tehran, which is Iran’s most populous city, is home to nearly 10 million people. —Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 23 June 2025

The nation’s second-most populous city is occupied by National Guard and Marine troops. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English populous, populus, borrowed from Latin populōsus, from populus people entry 1 + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for populous

• populace
• populus

Kids Definition

populous

adjective

pop·​u·​lous ˈpäp-yə-ləs 

: having a large population