population

noun

pop·u·la·tion ˌpä-pyə-ˈlā-shən

: the whole number of people or inhabitants in a country or region

: the total of individuals occupying an area or making up a whole

: the total of particles at a particular energy level

—used especially of atoms in a laser

: the act or process of populating

: a body of persons or individuals having a quality or characteristic in common

b(1)

: the organisms inhabiting a particular locality

(2)

: a group of interbreeding organisms that represents the level of organization at which speciation begins

: a group of individual persons, objects, or items from which samples are taken for statistical measurement

populational

ˌpä-pyə-ˈlā-shnəl

-shə-nᵊl

adjective

Examples of population in a Sentence

The world's population has increased greatly. The city has experienced an increase in population. There has been a sharp reduction in the bat population in this region. the rural population of America

Recent Examples on the Web California is about to be hit by an aging population wave, and Steve Lopez is riding it. —

Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2023 The four-week period is about honoring how Hispanic populations have shaped the U.S. in the past and present. —

Terry Tang, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2023 While there remains a lower risk of severe illness in younger populations, the benefits of protection from a vaccine outweigh any potential risks, federal health authorities say. —

Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2023 The region accounts for less than 10 percent of Oregon’s population, but most of its territory. —

Scott Wilson, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Sep. 2023 The Muslim population in the country then numbered 600,000, just 1.4 percent of the general population. —

Carlotta Gall, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023 North Platte, which is about 230 miles (370 kilometers) east of Denver and about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Omaha, has a population of about 23,000. —

Josh Funk, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2023 Although its prevalence has recently decreased to 6% of the U.S. adult population, there has been no significant progress in understanding its causes, prevention, or treatment. —

Steven Phillips, STAT, 14 Sep. 2023 With rates of mental health issues rising among youth, the authors said an examination of the impact of online spaces on a developmentally susceptible population is crucial. —

Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 4 Sep. 2023 See More

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