populous

adjective

pop·​u·​lous ˈpä-pyə-ləs How to pronounce populous (audio)
1
a
: densely populated
b
: having a large population
2
a
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 For local and international operators in the world’s most populous nation, the consequences of those tectonic shifts extend across streaming, pay-TV, channels, advertising, sports and content. Patrick Frater, Variety, 1 Mar. 2024 The data will further bolster optimism over the economic prospects of the world’s most populous nation. Krystal Hur, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 Those counties, Richland and Charleston, are the second- and third-most populous counties in the state. Ty Roush, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 But when drought reduces available vegetation in their habitat, locusts come together and fly in one of the world’s most populous migrations in search of food, moving in groups that can comprise between four billion and eight billion individuals. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 Jefferson County is Alabama’s most populous county and includes the Birmingham metropolitan area. Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2024 How China is celebrating Lunar New Year In the second most populous country of the world, Chinese locals, along with tourists, gathered to observe the holiday by setting off firecrackers and fireworks. TIME, 10 Feb. 2024 In April 2023, India officially overtook China as the most populous country in the world. Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 With a population of more than 210 million people, Nigeria is not just Africa’s most populous country but also the continent’s largest economy. Chinedu Asadu, Quartz, 17 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin populosus, from populus people

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of populous was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near populous

Cite this Entry

“Populous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populous. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

populous

adjective
pop·​u·​lous ˈpäp-yə-ləs How to pronounce populous (audio)
: having a large population
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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