We the People: Popul

The words on this list all share the root popul, from the Latin populus, meaning "people."

Work your way through these lists focused on Greek and Latin roots representing people and the social units they form: Gen, Ethn, Dem, Popul, Soc, Civ, Anthrop
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. population
    a group of organisms of the same species inhabiting an area
    Recently, the monarch population has plunged from an estimated 1 billion to less than 60 million. Washington Times (Oct 4, 2015)
    Despite being rooted in the Latin word for "people," a population can refer not just to a group of people, but also to a group of organisms, as in this example sentence, which focuses on monarch butterflies.
  2. populace
    people in general considered as a whole
    For freedom of speech to create the desired debate, after all, we need a populace that is if not informed then capable of critical thinking. Los Angeles Times (May 1, 2015)
  3. populous
    densely filled with inhabitants
    Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, but it has no semblance of an address system BBC (Apr 29, 2015)
  4. populist
    an advocate of democratic principles
    Thus we see the growth of labour organisations, and the spread of populists and socialists, who demand new rights and a greater share in the products of labour. Grayson, David
    In the 1890s, farmers felt that both political parties were controlled by the rich, so they created their own party, the Populists. Their platform included abolishing national banks, establishing a graduated income tax, and creating an 8-hour work day. Today, the word is used more generally to refer to anyone who claims to represent the interests of common people.
  5. popular
    new and of general appeal
    The radio was no good tonight—somebody sang popular songs that all ended in the same way. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
  6. popularity
    the quality of being widely admired or sought after
    His popularity soared nearly overnight, thanks to a humble style and an emphasis on serving the poor and the dispossessed. Los Angeles Times (Sep 23, 2015)
  7. popularize
    cater to popular taste to make popular and present to the general public; bring into general or common use
    The dessert was invented more than a century ago and helped popularize a delicacy reserved for the rich into a quick, affordable treat. Washington Times (Aug 22, 2014)
  8. popularism
    music adapted to the understanding and taste of the majority
    Must popularism and mediocrity always be happy bedfellows? New York Times (Mar 20, 2014)
  9. depopulate
    reduce in population
    As a result of social crises brought on by over a century of economic exploitation by the U.S. and worsened by Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico is rapidly depopulating. Slate (Apr 17, 2019)
  10. unpopular
    regarded with disfavor or lacking general approval
    One of Marci’s most unpopular policies was the reduction of energy and transportation subsidies, a measure that hit the pockets of ordinary Argentines hard. Reuters (Aug 12, 2019)
Created on Wed Sep 30 15:42:26 EDT 2015 (updated Mon Aug 26 15:46:14 EDT 2019)

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