popular

[pop-yuh-ler]

adjective

1. regarded with favor, approval, or affection by people in general.

   a popular preacher.

   Synonyms: bookmark

2. regarded with favor, approval, or affection by an acquaintance or acquaintances.

   He's not very popular with me just now.

3. of, relating to, or representing the people, especially the common people.

   popular discontent.

4. of the people as a whole, especially of all citizens of a nation or state qualified to participate in an election.

   popular suffrage; the popular vote; popular representation.

5. prevailing among the people generally.

   a popular superstition.

   Synonyms: current, common

6. suited to or intended for the general masses of people.

   popular music.

7. adapted to the ordinary intelligence or taste.

   popular lectures on science.

8. suited to the means of ordinary people; not expensive.

   popular prices on all tickets.

popular

/ ˈpɒpjʊlə, ˌpɒpjʊˈlærɪtɪ /

adjective

1. appealing to the general public; widely favoured or admired

2. favoured by an individual or limited group

   I'm not very popular with her

3. connected with, representing, or prevailing among the general public; common

   popular discontent

4. appealing to or comprehensible to the layman

   a popular lecture on physics

noun

1. Also shortened to: pops. (usually plural) cheap newspapers with mass circulation; the popular press

Other Word Forms

• antipopular adjective
• nonpopular adjective
• overpopular adjective
• pseudopopular adjective
• quasi-popular adjective
• semipopular adjective
• popularity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of popular¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English populer, from Latin populāris; people, -ar ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of popular¹

C15: from Latin populāris belonging to the people, democratic, from populus people

Synonym Study

See general.

Example Sentences

Vietnam has already been battling with a week of flooding and record rains that burst riverbanks and flooded some of the country's most popular tourist spots.

Read more on BBC

While "aura farming" - people doing things for the sake of looking cool, often when they know they're being filmed - was first used in January 2024, but became increasingly popular over the course of 2025.

Read more on BBC

Violence linked to his group, known as "The Company", claimed dozens of lives and was later immortalised in the hugely popular Australian TV series "Underbelly".

Read more on Barron's

In September, popular television host and comedian Bill Maher upped the ante describing what was happening as a "genocide" .

Read more on BBC

Singing in Mandarin, he is hugely popular in Taiwan and China.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• attractive 
• beloved 
• famous 
• fashionable 
• favored 
• prominent 
• suitable 
• trendy