Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Widely liked or appreciated: a popular resort.
- adj. Liked by acquaintances; sought after for company: "Beware of over-great pleasure in being popular or even beloved” ( Margaret Fuller).
- adj. Of, representing, or carried on by the people at large: the popular vote.
- adj. Fit for, adapted to, or reflecting the taste of the people at large: popular entertainment; popular science.
- adj. Accepted by or prevalent among the people in general: a popular misunderstanding of the issue.
- adj. Suited to or within the means of ordinary people: popular prices.
- adj. Originating among the people: popular legend.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Of or pertaining to the people; constituted by or depending on the people, especially the common people: as, the popular voice; popular elections; popular government.
- Suitable to or intended for common people; easy to be comprehended; not technical or abstruse; plain; familiar: as, a popular treatise on astronomy.
- Enjoying the favor of the people; pleasing to people in general: as, a popular preacher; a popular war or peace.
- Desirous of obtaining the favor of the people; courting the vulgar; of demagogic proclivities.
- Prevailing among the people; epidemic.
- Plebeian; vulgar.
- Conceited.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Of or pertaining to the common people, or to the whole body of the people, as distinguished from a select portion
- adj. Suitable to common people; easy to be comprehended; not abstruse; familiar; plain.
- adj. Adapted to the means of the common people; possessed or obtainable by the many; hence, cheap; common; ordinary; inferior.
- adj. Beloved or approved by the people; pleasing to people in general, or to many people
- adj. rare Devoted to the common people; studious of the favor of the populace.
- adj. obsolete Prevailing among the people; epidemic.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. representing or appealing to or adapted for the benefit of the people at large
- adj. carried on by or for the people (or citizens) at large
- adj. regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public
- adj. (of music or art) new and of general appeal (especially among young people)
Etymologies
- From Latin populāris, from populus ("people") + -āris ("-ar"). (Wiktionary)
- Middle English populer, commonly known, from Old French populeir, of the people, from Latin populāris, from populus, the people, of Etruscan origin. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Thus that _one means to national prosperity is popular education_ is an immediate inference, if the evidence for it is no more than the admission that _popular education is a means to national prosperity: _ Similarly, it is an immediate inference that _Some authors are vain_, if it be granted that _All authors are vain_.”
“The popular vote had been so light that it really looked as though the people had cared very little which candidate should succeed; and to talk about a manifestation of the _popular will_ was absurd, for the only real manifestation had been of popular indifference.”
“They may resent the imposition of American culture in the form of movies and music, but that’s only because our popular culture is so *popular* that it drowns out native culture.”
“Inshoot “Inshoot” was a term popular in the 1890s.”
“Among the earliest uses of the term popular culture is an anonymous Contemporary Review editorial, reprinted under that title in the New York Times, bemoaning its lack.”
“I've always wondered how James Luther Adams, who reinterpreted the meaning of "prophet" in ways that made the term popular among progressive Unitarian Universalists, really got around this point when it comes to the biblical prophets.”
“The third chapter concentrates on culture Jerram avoids the term "popular", encompassing music halls, cinema, cafés, bars, football stadiums, dance and jazz clubs, discos and TV-dominated living rooms.”
“By the term popular speakers or popular writers I imply all those who do not direct their remarks exclusively to the learned.”
“Note: 1080p is another term popular in for televisions.”
“Just a week before the announcement, Cameron outlined his ideas on how to create what he called popular capitalism.”
The Guardian: Labour pressure made £1m bonus too hot to handle
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘popular’.
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Impressionism
Words that describe the art of the impressionist era.
seascapes, landscapes, modern, impression, impressionist, contemporary, flicker, sensation, modernity, perceived, perceiving, momentary and 142 more...
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®emovies
Movies or TV shows where the titles are also common words, generally one-word titles.
lost, alien, bug, elephant, siege, gladiator, flock, captivity, piano, roots, freaks, moonstruck and 269 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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Keywords, by Raymond Williams
From a book about life and death.
aesthetic, alienation, art, behaviour, bourgeois, bureaucracy, capitalism, career, charity, city, civilization, class and 99 more...
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INTERP - speeches can be...
adequate, adroit, blunt, blurred, committed, divisive, exacerbating, fitting, hollow, lengthy, murky, pronounced and 123 more...
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cindywrites's Words
chiaroscuro, mollycoddle, feckless, evocative, provocative, invocation, beckon, allay, becalm, console, lull, soothe and 479 more...
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Xuer's Words
real, xuer, china, shanghai, internet, readwrite, craigslist, google, delicious, flickr, douban, 37signals and 109 more...
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Apples to Apples: Green Cards
A complete list of the green cards (adjectives) from the popular word game.
absurd, addictive, adorable, aged, American, ancient, animated, annoying, appetizing, arrogant, awesome, awkward and 237 more...
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Chainlink's Words
hat, opalescent, opal, emerald, sapphire, scythe, carnival, calliope, brilliant, awesome, feather, fantastic and 268 more...
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Basic English Vocabulary
Very basic words for ESL students.
contemplate, container, consumer, consultant, consensus, conscious, conscience, connection, confusion, confront, conflict, confident and 4334 more...
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♡LOVE and things like it♡
dedicated to my man Steven, without whom i would be addicted to drugs, lying in a gutter, hating myself, or hooking somewhere :)
affectionate, amative, amatory, amiable, ammophilous, amorous, ardent, attached to, attracted to, beloved, bewitching, bitten and 404 more...
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Words I HATE!! >:O
These are just all around words that I despise. I don't know why I just hate them with all my heart and soul.
popular, legit, represent, learn, math, intercept, ugly, audacious
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Lost in transgenderation
An interesting list I found in the internet, on how the same word changes its meaning when used to describe a woman rather than a man.
(I'm translating from Italian, then adding new ones)courtesan, masseuse, professional, street, morals, public, easy, entertaining, enticer, willing, peripatetic, cubist and 8 more...
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OM2 Lesson 16
cookout, backyard, skewer, shish kebab, anyone, grill, hot, sheep, lamb, nobody, mistaken, somebody and 23 more...
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Words that are also TV shows
Trace back the chain of "this idea was ripped off from" over here.
alias, lost, heroes, journeyman, blossom, monk, scrubs, reaper, hack, legend, recess, firefly and 62 more...
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nelsara's Words
popular, culture, pop, erudite, intelligent, gender, urban, media, film, television, university, college and 55 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for popular.
Dazyn Too bad the song sucked. Dec 4, 2011
seanahan After hearing this song, I can't think of the term "popular" without hearing it. Jan 9, 2007
lampbane "I'm head of the class
I'm popular
I'm a quarterback
I'm popular
My mom says I'm a catch
I'm popular
I'm never last picked
I got a cheerleader chick" Jan 9, 2007