popular

adjective

pop·​u·​lar ˈpä-pyə-lər How to pronounce popular (audio)
Synonyms of popularnext
1
: of or relating to the general public
2
: suitable to the majority: such as
a
: adapted to or indicative of the understanding and taste of the majority
a popular history of the war
b
: suited to the means of the majority : inexpensive
sold at popular prices
3
: frequently encountered or widely accepted
a popular theory
4
: commonly liked or approved
a very popular girl
popularly adverb

Synonyms

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Choose the Right Synonym for popular

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 The word “groovy” was popular in the 1960s but it's outdated now.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 See More
Recent Examples on the Web Rock music was more popular than ever and its money-making potential drew the attention of every media outlet in the country. —Matthew Dursum, SPIN, 20 Nov. 2023 The character has proven quite popular, appearing in comics, serials and, of course, movies and television. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2023 In fact, the pair just released a new riff on the popular Fenty x Puma Creeper. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 20 Nov. 2023 One of several backcountry trails in the Grand Canyon that have become popular routes for visitors, Bright Angel Trail takes hikers from a trailhead along the South Rim down to the Colorado River, which runs through the bottom of the canyon. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023 The original films were equally popular in the U.S. and overseas, but the prequel is off to a slightly stronger start in foreign territories. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 19 Nov. 2023 At that time, European movies, and especially the French New Wave, were quite popular in Hong Kong. —Simon Abrams, The New Yorker, 19 Nov. 2023 As more states legalize recreational use, cannabis is easily the most popular mind-altering drug in the U.S. —Akshay Syal, M.d., NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023 Mississippi voters in 2020 repealed a Jim Crow-era method of electing a governor and other statewide officials, which required a candidate to win both the popular vote and a majority of the 122 state House districts. —Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'popular.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin popularis, from populus the people, a people

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of popular was in 1548

Phrases Containing popular

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Dictionary Entries Near popular

populacy

popular

popular action

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Cite this Entry

“Popular.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/popular. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

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Kids Definition

popular

adjective
pop·​u·​lar ˈpäp-yə-lər How to pronounce popular (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or coming from the whole body of people
popular government
2
: suitable for the average person (as in low price or ease of understanding)
popular prices
popular science
3
: generally current : prevalent
popular opinion
4
: commonly liked or approved
a popular teacher
popularity
ˌpäp-yə-ˈlar-ət-ē
noun
popularly adverb
Etymology

from Latin popularis "of the people," from populus "the people" — related to public

Legal Definition

popular

adjective
pop·​u·​lar
1
: of or relating to the general public
2
a
: of, relating to, or by the people (as of a nation or state) as a whole as distinguished from a specific class or group
b
: based on or alleged to be based on the will of the people

More from Merriam-Webster on popular

Nglish: Translation of popular for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of popular for Arabic Speakers

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