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

Star-chasers come for the dark sky, birders have more than 200 species to check off their list, and adrenaline-seekers enjoy getting a glimpse of the swamp’s most populous resident, the American alligator. —Sheeka Sanahori, Outside, 11 Nov. 2025

Still, being one of two SEC programs in the nation’s 24th-most populous state hasn’t stopped Auburn from winning big in the past. —Seth Emerson, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025

As Africa’s most populous country, with 220 million people and one of the continent’s biggest economies, Nigeria matters. —Kingsley Moghalu, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025

However, India's financial capital of Mumbai as well as its most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders Delhi, went on high security alert after the blast, local media reported. —Shivam Patel, USA Today, 10 Nov. 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