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

Methodology To determine the best cities to retire in the United States, WalletHub conducted an analysis of 182 cities including the 150 most populous cities nationwide, along with at least two of the largest cities from each state. —Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 25 Nov. 2025

Compare that with Oklahoma City, the most affordable of the most populous cities, where $2,000 is worth about 1,900 square feet — more than two pickleball courts. —Natalie Wu, CNBC, 22 Nov. 2025

Additionally, Southern California itself requires extensive logistic networks to support the nation’s second-most populous region. —Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 22 Nov. 2025

California, the most-populous state, has the most House members with 52, while Texas is second with 38. —John Kruzel, USA Today, 22 Nov. 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