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

The ex-city comptroller and mayoral candidate is betting his durable popularity in the more-populous Brooklyn portion of the district, and his critical stance on Israel, will catapult him to victory in the June 23 vote. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 23 May 2026

Still, Bianco, the two-term sheriff of California’s fourth most populous county, is a favorite of many Republicans in the state and won more support from delegates during the party’s recent endorsing convention than Hilton, though neither reached the necessary 60% to win the party backing. —Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026

Related Stories Brazil is the largest and most populous country in Latin America but the only Portuguese-speaking one. —Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 20 May 2026

This week, the Trust for Public Land announced that Atlanta has ranked 18th in its annual ParkScore Index, a comparison of park systems of the 100 most populous cities in the United States. —Dan Raby, CBS News, 20 May 2026

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