overpopulation
Britishnoun
Explanation
Overpopulation is what happens when there are too many members of a species. An overpopulation of deer can lead to more of them being hit by cars and more gardens being nibbled. When the population of any group is too large for its environment to support, that's overpopulation. That can mean so many people inhabiting a region that there's not enough food for everyone, or an overabundance of rabbits in an area with no natural predators. An overpopulation of pets in the U.S. means that unwanted cats and dogs have to be euthanized every year; there are just too many of them for the number of available adopters.
Vocabulary lists containing overpopulation
Human Geography - Middle School
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Human Geography - High School
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5th Grade Human Geography, List 1
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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.
Chinese authorities have rolled out pronatalist incentives after ending its one-child policy -- which had been in place for more than three decades to address poverty and overpopulation.
From Barron's • Jan. 5, 2026
In our own day, overpopulation pessimism has given way to very real worries that we aren’t replacing ourselves.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025
Gen. Rob Bonta to keep the prison open, presenting it as an option to alleviate the overpopulation in county jails.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2025
"Right now, what we're seeing is a lot of rhetoric of catastrophe, either overpopulation or shrinking population, which leads to this kind of exaggerated response, and sometimes a manipulative response," says Dr Kanem.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2025
We exhibit photos and show a video of all sorts of chimpanzee behaviors, and there is a big section on the dangers of deforestation, overgrazing, and overpopulation.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
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.
