population

noun

pop·u·la·tion | \ ˌpä-pyə-ˈlā-shən

Definition of population

1a : the whole number of people or inhabitants in a country or region

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

c : the total of particles at a particular energy level —used especially of atoms in a laser

2 : the act or process of populating

3a : 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

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

Other Words from population Example Sentences Learn More about population

Keep scrolling for more

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

That was the lowest since 1969, when the labor market and population were much smaller. — Sam Goldfarb, WSJ, "U.S. Government Bonds Fall After Chinese Data Beats Expectations," 12 Apr. 2019 Over 586 million mobile gamers are in China alone—twice the population of the United States, according to Qualcomm’s Hiren Bhinde at Qualcomm’s technology summit last December. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Qualcomm's Snapdragon 730G processor was built for kick-ass mobile gaming," 9 Apr. 2019 My response is always that my goal is to actually increase inclusivity in the nutrition world by providing a service for a population that typically isn’t represented. — Nazima Qureshi, SELF, "3 Ways I Make Nutrition Advice More Culturally Relevant to Muslim Women Like Myself," 3 Apr. 2019 The Pew Research Center projected that millennials are set to surpass baby boomers in population size in 2019 and represent nearly 40% of the electorate by 2020, according to Center for American Progress in 2028. — Maia Wikler, Teen Vogue, "5 Youth-Led Climate Justice Groups Helping to Save the Environment," 28 Mar. 2019 Research on the keto diet in healthy populations is fairly limited and still developing. — Karla Walsh, Woman's Day, "What Is the Keto Diet, Exactly?," 27 Dec. 2018 In March, the United Nations said Facebook had played a role in inciting violence against the minority Rohingya Muslim population. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "The Verge 2018 tech report card: Facebook," 26 Dec. 2018 This small city just north of the Connecticut border, population almost 155,000, is hardly known for its collection of neon. — Andrea Bennett, Condé Nast Traveler, "Will New Casinos Bring a "MassVegas" to New England?," 17 Dec. 2018 The spillover effects on this population are severe. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Senior housing: Older Americans face affordability, accessibility challenges," 14 Nov. 2018

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