populace

noun

pop·​u·​lace ˈpä-pyə-ləs How to pronounce populace (audio)
1
: the common people : masses
2

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.

Examples of populace in a Sentence

The populace has suffered greatly. high officials awkwardly mingling with the general populace
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And so, as Russia (and China and others) clamp down on the apps available in their countries—with big tech mainly complying, Western democracies threaten the very security and privacy protections that still enable those populaces to use technology safely. Zak Doffman, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 At almost every moment since May, the election has found a way to demand the near-constant attention of a populace wary of former President Trump, President Biden and Vice President Harris, who are historically unpopular. Noah Bressner, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024 Some notable proportion of the populace will undoubtedly seek mental solace, of which, modern-day generative AI presumably stands ready to help. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Wisconsin’s razor-thin margins in the last two presidential elections reveal a deeply divided populace that reflect a polarized nation. Nancy C. Unger / Made By History, TIME, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for populace 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French, "mob, rabble," borrowed from Italian popolazzo, popolaccio "the common people, the masses, rabble, mob," from popolo people entry 1 + -azzo, -accio, augmentative and pejorative suffix, going back to Latin -āceus -aceous

Note: The extension of -āceus to nouns, through deletion of the modified head noun, takes place already in Latin (see note at -aceous), and continued into Italian—compare focaccia "flatbread," already attested in Late Latin, from Latin focus "hearth." At some point the notion of appurtenance or similarity appears to have led to that of devaluation, whence the application of the Italian suffix to things of inappropriately large size or inferior quality. The derivatives popolazzo and popolaccio show both the Tuscan outcome -accio and a variant -azzo that represents the outcome of -āceus in Upper Italian or southern Italian dialects.

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of populace was in 1572

Dictionary Entries Near populace

Cite this Entry

“Populace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populace. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

populace

noun
pop·​u·​lace ˈpäp-yə-ləs How to pronounce populace (audio)
1
: the common people : masses
2

More from Merriam-Webster on populace

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