overpopulation

noun

over·​pop·​u·​la·​tion ˌō-vər-ˌpä-pyə-ˈlā-shən 

: the condition of having a population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration, an impaired quality of life, or a population crash

Examples of overpopulation in a Sentence

He is studying the problem of deer overpopulation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Lucky Dawg's goal is to capture and neuter both mother cats to help prevent further litters of homeless cats and pet overpopulation. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026

It’s also seemingly kept most of the city’s residents stupid enough not to realize that they’re not really getting reborn at all, just killed off to fight overpopulation. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026

So much so that, even as the country grapples with overpopulation, the government has taken the unusual step of encouraging Parsis to grow their families. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 21 June 2026

The Statesman reported on their overpopulation last year, serving as a cautionary tale for what can happen when a non-native species gets introduced to the environment. — Hannah Smith july 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overpopulation

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization

Kids Definition

overpopulation

noun

over·​pop·​u·​la·​tion -ˌpäp-yə-ˈlā-shən 

: the condition of having too many people living in a certain area

Medical Definition

overpopulation

noun

over·​pop·​u·​la·​tion ˌō-vər-ˌpäp-yə-ˈlā-shən 

: the condition of having a population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration, an impaired quality of life, or a population crash

overpopulated

-ˈpäp-yə-ˌlāt-əd 

adjective