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

General Elections: India is holding its multiphase general elections from April 19 to June 1, in a vote that will determine the political direction of the world’s most populous nation for the next five years. —Samanth Subramanian Vikas Adam Tanya Pérez Zachary Mouton, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024

Anaheim is Orange County’s most populous city and home to 345,000 people, a major league baseball team and a national hockey league team. —Amy Taxin, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024

The Good Shepherd Church in Sydney’s west on Monday — has shocked residents of Australia’s most populous city. —Reuters, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024

Anaheim is Orange County's most populous city and home to 345,000 people as well as a major league baseball team and a national hockey league team. —Amy Taxin, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2024

Users could only choose cities within the top 50 most populous cities in the United States. —Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024

Once again, legal California sports will see none of this because the nation’s most populous state is stuck in the 16th century regarding this subject. —Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024

Even after the drop, Marion County still ranks as the country's 54th most populous county, while the Indianapolis metro area ranks 34th in the nation. —Rory Appleton, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Mar. 2024

This year's election cycle is expected to be a pivotal one for Maricopa County, the most populous in Arizona. —Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin populosus, from populus people

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

populous

adjective

pop·​u·​lous ˈpäp-yə-ləs 

: having a large population