populace

noun

pop·​u·​lace ˈpä-pyə-ləs 

1

: the common people : masses

2

: population

Did you know?

Populace is usually used to refer to all the people of a country. Thus, we're often told that an educated and informed populace is essential for a healthy American democracy. Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous radio "Fireside Chats" informed and reassured the American populace in the 1930s as we struggled through the Great Depression. We often hear about what "the general populace" is thinking or doing, but generalizing about something so huge can be tricky.

Synonyms

• commoners
• commons
• crowd
• herd
• hoi polloi
• mass
• millions
• mob
• multitude
• people
• plebeians
• plebs
• public
• rank and file

Examples of populace in a Sentence

The populace has suffered greatly.

high officials awkwardly mingling with the general populace

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet politicians push their preferences on the populace and insist that a nudge is not a shove. —Krista Kafer, The Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2024

Hence, dietitians and food scientists were able to consistently erase ignorance from the mind of the populace regarding a healthy lifestyle. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 7 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Italian popolaccio rabble, augmentative of popolo the people, from Latin populus

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

populace

noun

pop·​u·​lace ˈpäp-yə-ləs 

1

: the common people : masses

2

: population sense 1