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

The hunt is intended to prevent deer overpopulation. —Lulu Jaeckel, Twin Cities, 3 Dec. 2025

Ecofascism and Malthusian anxieties about overpopulation can go hand in hand with Unabomber anti-technology screeds and climate doomers. —Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025

Danish administrators began to worry about overpopulation. —Ben Taub, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

State wildlife managers are relocating the sheep to prevent overpopulation and potential accidents at the mine. —John Leos, AZCentral.com, 14 Nov. 2025

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