populous
Americanadjective
-
full of residents or inhabitants, as a region; heavily populated.
-
jammed or crowded with people.
There's no more populous place than Times Square on New Year's Eve.
-
forming or comprising a large number or quantity.
Because of epidemics the tribes are not nearly so populous as they once were.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- nonpopulous adjective
- nonpopulously adverb
- nonpopulousness noun
- overpopulous adjective
- overpopulously adverb
- overpopulousness noun
- populously adverb
- populousness noun
- unpopulous adjective
- unpopulously adverb
- unpopulousness noun
Etymology
Origin of populous
1400–50; late Middle English populus < Latin populōsus. See people, -ous
Explanation
A populous place is full of people. If you left your cabin in the Maine woods to spend the weekend in New York City, you'd be particularly aware of how populous the city is. Anything that's dense with people can be described as populous, like the country of China or the city of Mumbai or even a crowded airport. Populous is a Latin word that means simply "people." It was adopted by English in the 15th century to mean "full of people." The adjective populous is easy to confuse with the noun populace, "the people who live in a country," especially since they are homonyms, or words that sound exactly the same.
Vocabulary lists containing populous
Much Ado: Synonyms for "Many"
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We the People: Popul
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"Othello" by William Shakespeare, Act IV-V
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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.
Egypt, the region’s most populous country, is grappling with inflation above 28% and a currency that has lost nearly 90% of its value over the past decade.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
A smaller 2026 crop, with rising demand for livestock feed in some of the most populous countries, including China and India, will put pressure on global corn prices, affecting everyone regardless of their nationality.
From Salon • Apr. 8, 2026
Data from Ontario, Canada's most populous province, shows that the majority of handguns recovered from crimes in 2024 - about 91% - originate from the US.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
Cotality continues to have transaction delays from the recording office in Wayne County, the most populous county in the Detroit metro area, the survey said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
California’s Education Code, the set of laws and regulations that govern K-12 education in the nation’s most populous state, calls on all schools to offer courses in four arts disciplines: music, visual, theater, and dance.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
