populous

adjective

pop·​u·​lous ˈpä-pyə-ləs 

1

a

: densely populated

b

: having a large population

2

a

: numerous

b

: filled to capacity

populously adverb

populousness noun

Did you know?

With a metropolitan area of more than 20 million people, Mexico City could be called the world's second or third most populous city. And the nearby Aztec city of Tenochtitlán was one of the largest cities in the world even when Hernán Cortés arrived there in 1519. But by the time Cortés conquered the city in 1521 it wasn't nearly so populous, since European diseases had greatly reduced the population. Avoid confusing populous and populace, which are pronounced exactly the same.

Examples of populous in a Sentence

the most populous state in the U.S.

Recent Examples on the Web

The capital city’s parks have long landed in the top three of the 100 most populous cities surveyed, and losing some ground in this year’s ParkScore Index is not for lack of public investment, said Sophie Harris Vorhoff, Minnesota State director with the nonprofit parks advocacy organization. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 21 May 2025

The study used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other benchmarks from the 100 most populous cities in the U.S., ranking each on sleep duration and quality. —Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2025

The capital of Sudan was once a bustling, diverse metropolis — one of Africa's most populous cities, with 6 million people. —Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 16 May 2025

Here's the list for the top 50 most populous cities in the United States. —Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 16 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English populous, populus, borrowed from Latin populōsus, from populus people entry 1 + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for populous

• populace
• populus

Kids Definition

populous

adjective

pop·​u·​lous ˈpäp-yə-ləs 

: having a large population