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

Across the country’s 25 most populous cities, the film is listing pre-sales in fewer than 25 locations. —J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024

The Adani Group has been doubling down its investments in the cement business as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to modernize India’s infrastructure facilities and build more homes in the world’s most populous country. —Jonathan Burgos, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

The campaign's ground game has seven of their 52 offices in the state's most populous county, and has partnered with local influencers and groups to specifically reach younger, harder-to-reach Black voters. —Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 17 Oct. 2024

Deadly tanker accidents are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, which lacks an efficient railway system to transport cargo. —Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

populous

adjective

pop·​u·​lous ˈpäp-yə-ləs 

: having a large population