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

Lahore is the capital of Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province, where many parents send their children to private tutoring centers in the afternoon and evening. — CNN Money, 1 July 2026

Notably absent from that list are California and Texas, the two most populous states in the country. — Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Lahore is the capital of Pakistan's most populous Punjab province, where many parents send their children to private tutoring centers in the afternoon and evening. — CBS News, 1 July 2026

Since then, Lebanese health authorities say more than 4,250 people have been killed — a toll that surpasses the war deaths in Iran but in a country 16 times less populous. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 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