English

Adjective

popular ‎(comparative more popular, superlative most popular)

1. Common among the general public; generally accepted. [from 15th c.]
   • 2007, Joe Queenan, The Guardian, 23 Aug 2007:

     Contrary to popular misconception, MacArthur Park is not the worst song ever written.

2. (law) Concerning the people; public. [from 15th c.]
3. Pertaining to or deriving from the people or general public. [from 16th c.]
   • 1594, Richard Hooker, Preface:

     At the coming of Calvin thither, the form of their civil regiment was popular, as it continueth at this day: neither king, nor duke, nor nobleman of any authority or power over them, but officers chosen by the people out of themselves, to order all things with public consent.

   • 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin 2010, page 645:

     Luther in popular memory had become a saint, his picture capable of saving houses from burning down, if it was fixed to the parlour wall.

   • 2009, Graham Smith, The Guardian, letter, 27 May 2009:

     Jonathan Freedland brilliantly articulates the size and nature of the challenge and we must take his lead in setting out a radical agenda for a new republic based on the principle of popular sovereignty.

4. (obsolete) Of low birth, not noble; vulgar, plebian. [16th-17th c.]
   • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essayes, London: Edward Blount, OCLC 946730821, II.17:

     Popular and shallow-headed mindes, cannot perceive the grace or comelinesse, nor judge of a smooth and quaint discourse.

5. Aimed at ordinary people, as opposed to specialists etc.; intended for general consumption. [from 16th c.]
   • 2009, ‘Meltdown’, The Economist, 8 Apr 2009:

     As a work of popular science it is exemplary: the focus may be the numbers, but most of the mathematical legwork is confined to the appendices and the accompanying commentary is amusing and witty, as well as informed.

6. (obsolete) Cultivating the favour of the common people. [16th-18th c.]
   • Such popular humanity is treason. - Joseph Addison
7. Liked by many people; generally pleasing, widely admired. [from 17th c.]
   • 2006, Edwin Black, chapter 2, in Internal Combustion:

     The popular late Middle Ages fictional character Robin Hood, dressed in green to symbolize the forest, dodged fines for forest offenses and stole from the rich to give to the poor. But his appeal was painfully real and embodied the struggle over wood.

   • 2011, The Observer, 2 Oct.:

     They might have split 24 years ago, but the Smiths remain as popular as ever, and not just among those who remember them first time around.

   • 2013 March 1, David S. Senchina, “Athletics and Herbal Supplements”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 2, page 134:

     Athletes' use of herbal supplements has skyrocketed in the past two decades. At the top of the list of popular herbs are echinacea and ginseng, whereas garlic, St. John's wort, soybean, ephedra and others are also surging in popularity or have been historically prevalent.

8. Adapted to the means of the common people; cheap. [from 19th c.]

Antonyms

• anonymous
• unpopular

Derived terms

• pop; pop art
• Popular action, (Law): an action in which any person may sue for penalty imposed by statute. - William Blackstone

Translations

References

• popular in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin popularis.

Adjective

popular m, f ‎(masculine and feminine plural populars)

1. popular (of the common people)
2. popular (well-known, well-liked)

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Borrowing from Latin populāris.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌpo.pu.ˈlaʁ/

Adjective

popular m, f ‎(plural populares, comparable)

1. popular (liked by many people)

   Esse sabor de sorvete é popular nessa região.‎

   This ice cream flavour is popular around these parts.

2. popular (relating to the general public)

   Eles estudam a cultura popular.‎

   They study popular culture.

3. popular (aimed at ordinary people)

   Um livro popular de programação.‎

   A popular programming book.

4. (by extension) popular; affordable

   Moradia popular.‎

   Low-income housing.

5. (politics) democratic (involving the participation of the general public)

   Voto popular.‎

   Demotratic vote.

Quotations

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:popular.

Synonyms

• (affordable): barato
• (democratic): democrático

Noun

popular m (plural populares)

1. (formal) civilian (a person who is not working in the police or armed forces)

   Populares ajudaram a encontrar o fugitivo.‎

   Civilians helped find the fugitive.

Synonyms

• civil

Noun

popular f (plural populares)

1. cheap accommodation

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌpo.pu.ˈla(ʁ)/

Verb

popular ‎(first-person singular present indicative populo, past participle populado)

1. (databases) to populate (to add initial data to [a database])
2. (rare) Synonym of povoar

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin popularis, French populaire

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [po.puˈlar]

Adjective

popular m, n ‎(feminine singular populară, masculine plural populari, feminine and neuter plural populare)

1. popular (of the people)
2. popular (well-liked)

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin populāris.

Adjective

popular m, f ‎(plural populares)

1. popular

Related terms

• populismo
• populista