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 The word “groovy” was popular in the 1960s but it's outdated now.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 Tokyo Disneyland is among the most popular locations for the celebration, with hundreds of participants greeted by Mickey and Minnie Mouse. — Washington Post, "AP PHOTOS: Japan honors young adults on Coming of Age Day," 13 Jan. 2020 Some of the most popular videos uploaded by YouTube megahit Ryan’s World (then Ryan’s Toy Review) were of science experiments conducted by then 3-year-old Ryan. — Kelly Kessler, Wired, "Streaming Giants Need Shows Like Schoolhouse Rock," 13 Jan. 2020 In Portland, the most popular ADUs are living spaces for elderly relatives, adult children and family friends, and as income-producing apartments to rent (36 percent each), according to the Pro.com survey. — oregonlive, "Permits for in-law flats and other ADUs are down but interest remains high," 12 Jan. 2020 Tenor was the most popular instrument at that time to get work. — Nathaniel Friedman, The New Yorker, "“If You’re in the Song, Keep on Playing”: An Interview With Pharoah Sanders," 12 Jan. 2020 Error 0: The homes offer a variety of the most popular features and amenities on the market today. — Houston Chronicle, "HistoryMaker partners with local vendors on GHBA Benefit home," 11 Jan. 2020 And the 737 Max has been its most popular airplane launch. — Stephen Gandel, CBS News, "Boeing 737 Max parts supplier laying off 2,800 employees," 10 Jan. 2020 The iconic Detroit rocker and his longtime label Capitol Records have at last launched his official artist channel on YouTube, the video hosting service that has become the most popular online music platform. — Brian Mccollum, Detroit Free Press, "Bob Seger at last launches an official YouTube channel, debuts 'Night Moves' lyric video," 10 Jan. 2020 Beautyberry, duh The most popular form is Helleborus xhybridus which represents a bit of Heinz 57 mixture of species that are all quite similar. — Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "Got the winter blues? Cheer up with these colorful winter-blooming plants for your garden," 10 Jan. 2020

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.