popularity
AmericanOther Word Forms
- nonpopularity noun
- overpopularity noun
- semipopularity noun
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.
Their popularity overshadowed Cranston‘s. Kaczmarkek, who at the time called her TV husband “the heart and soul” of “Malcolm,” called the imbalance “terribly uncomfortable.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
Anthropic in particular has experienced a surge in popularity this year, leading the company to rapidly secure more compute.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
These types of dogs have risen in popularity in recent years, making up the top three types of crossbreeds owned by dog owners, according to a 2025 survey by the Dogs Trust.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
I doubt these will include a reflowering of the Iranian economy, new domestic popularity for the regime, or neighbors letting bygones be bygones.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
That note, it turned out—which by now had been quoted or read aloud by half the grade—was Maya’s first ticket to a kind of popularity she’d never experienced before.
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
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.
