population explosion

noun

: a pyramiding of numbers of a biological population

especially : the recent great increase in human numbers resulting from increased survival and exponential population growth

Examples of population explosion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This influx of diversity triggered a population explosion and a culinary one, too. — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Unsurprisingly, there was a massive population explosion in the postwar era, and that led to the start of the antigrowth movement. — Maggie McGowan, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026

The high desert has seen a population explosion over the past few decades thanks to its relatively cheap housing compared to Los Angeles. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Given one female blue crab can produce millions of eggs, a population explosion in the lagoons may have been inevitable in the new environment. — Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 18 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for population explosion

• corrosion
• erosion
• implosion

Medical Definition

population explosion

noun

: a pyramiding of numbers of a biological population

especially : the recent great increase in human numbers resulting from both increased survival and exponential population growth