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 accounts from Mashhad, Iran’s second-most populous city, are a small window into one of the most lethal government actions the Iranian regime has taken in recent history. —Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026

Jacksonville recently cracked 1 million residents, as well as the Top 10 most populous cities in the United States, according to the most recent Census data. —Paula Conway, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Texas is one of only nine states that do not have a state income tax and is home to several of the nation’s most populous metro areas. —Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026

Four shark attacks in two days A spate of shark attacks in Australia’s most populous state has triggered warnings to stay out of the water. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026

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