common, ordinary, plain, familiar, popular, vulgar mean generally met with and not in any way special, strange, or unusual. common implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence a common error lacked common honesty and may additionally suggest inferiority or coarseness. common manners ordinary stresses conformance in quality or kind with the regular order of things. an ordinary pleasant summer day a very ordinary sort of man plain is likely to suggest homely simplicity. plain hard-working people familiar stresses the fact of being generally known and easily recognized. a familiar melody popular applies to what is accepted by or prevalent among people in general sometimes in contrast to upper classes or special groups. a writer of popular romances vulgar, otherwise similar to popular, is likely to carry derogatory connotations (as of inferiority or coarseness). souvenirs designed to appeal to the vulgar taste

Examples of popular in a Sentence

They have names that were popular a century ago. He is a popular guy in school. Spicy foods have become increasingly popular. That is a very popular misconception. The word “groovy” was popular in the 1960s but it's outdated now. Her theories are popular among social scientists. a popular history of physics

Recent Examples on the Web

For this reason, the Colonial style is extremely versatile, making it a popular choice for many Americans in search of their dream home. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "Here’s Why Colonial-Style Homes Reign Supreme," 2 May 2019 In the early 1960s, there were no male toy figures popular with boys. — Maude Campbell, Popular Mechanics, "Yo, Joe: How a 12-Inch Soldier Doll Became a Toy Legend," 9 Apr. 2019 One popular option is cognitive behavioral therapy, which aims to help people reframe thoughts that can provoke or exacerbate anxiety. — Natasha Lavender, SELF, "This Is the Difference Between Feeling Anxious and Having an Anxiety Disorder," 16 May 2019 Itʼs an easy and affordable option to add personality to Ikea’s popular modular pieces. — Kelly Dawson, House Beautiful, "How to Design a Bachelor Pad That Isn’t a Total Cliché," 15 May 2019 File under trends that won’t go away: the 5:2 diet, a type of intermittent fasting made popular by British broadcaster Michael Mosley and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. — Jaclyn London, Ms, Rd, Cdn, Good Housekeeping, "What Is the 5:2 Diet, Jimmy Kimmel's Intense Weight-Loss Method?," 13 May 2019 But now the network has announced that the popular sitcom—which was saved after its initial cancellation on ABC—won’t be back at all in September. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "Fox Won't Air 'Last Man Standing' Season 8 Until 2020," 13 May 2019 Hyundai chose a safe bet with the wildly popular Marvel theme. — Drew Dorian, Car and Driver, "With the 2019 Hyundai Kona Iron Man Edition, MCU Means Marvel Car Universe," 10 May 2019 Unlike modern, which refers to a specific period with distinct design characteristics, the contemporary aesthetic is constantly evolving, reflecting the popular styles of present-day design. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "Best Room Wins Episode Two Steps Up to the Challenge of Contemporary," 9 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'popular.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.