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:
These rare real-life gatherings of young people in the social media era are also gaining popularity in Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
"I guess it's the popularity of the new sort of hype around the electric scene. Because they're so new, a lot of people are interested in them."
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Nolan, the Conagra demand scientist, has seen gluten-free, vegan, keto, low-carb and fat-free diets all wane and wax in popularity over the years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
As the popularity of cryptocurrency reached new heights in 2018, he started OpenSea.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Bentley joined at a unique moment in the CPUSA's history, as the Party's popularity soared during the Depression.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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 scientific irrelevancies and solemn popularities, less elaborately embodied, I seem to have met with before—in papers signed by more than one serious and unqualified sage, whose mind also was not narrowed by knowledge.
From The Gentle Art of Making Enemies by James McNeill Whistler
To those who only care for the light popularities of the season, give Balfe and Verdi, Glover and Julien.
From Routledge's Manual of Etiquette by George Routledge
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.
