popularity
AmericanOther Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of popularity
First recorded in 1540–50, popularity is from the Latin word populāritās a courting of popular favor. See popular, -ity
Explanation
Popularity is the quality of being well-liked and having a lot of friends and admirers. Winning a student council election isn't just about popularity — you also have to have good ideas and be willing to work hard. Having popularity means that there are many people in your corner, supporting or liking you. The popularity of an internet celebrity might disappear suddenly, while the popularity of your favorite writers and artists seems to last for generations. This kind of popularity implies being adored by people who don't even know you in person (the word comes from a Latin root meaning "the people"), while your popularity among your friends is a more personal type.
Vocabulary lists containing popularity
We the People: Popul
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Academy Awards, List 5
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popul (people)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It also announced earlier this summer it was expanding services for weight loss drugs, which have surged in popularity.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
No doubt this is partially due to Hoover’s extreme popularity, and Hathaway and Johnson’s bankability — those are fair elements to incorporate here.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
Over the past year, the popularity of prediction markets has skyrocketed.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Sales slowed, however, after ultra-low-rise stretchy jeans and premium denim gained popularity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
“Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I’m afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time,” said Dumbledore, now peering sternly over his half-moon spectacles.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
And while he’s happy for these books’ popularities, he says that some subjects may be better told by kids who also aren’t tasked with saving the world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026
We have seen extended popularities of “connect the dots,” “touching base,” “walking you through,” “deep dive,” “gain traction” and “circle back.”
From Washington Post ● Jul. 31, 2017
That is, the difference between the popularities of a given song in different “worlds” increased as the strength of social influence increased.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 18, 2013
The vital facts of to-day's literature always lie buried beneath chatter of large editions and immense popularities.
From Books and Persons Being Comments on a Past Epoch 1908-1911 by Arnold Bennett
I never guessed how crowded up by popularities a poor author may be till I had crossed the Atlantic and reaped the kindness of Greater Britain.
From My Life as an Author by Martin Farquhar Tupper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
