popular

English Online Dictionary. What means popular‎? What does popular mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English populer, from Old French populaire and Latin populāris, from populus (“people”) + -āris (“-ar”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒpjʊlə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɑpjəlɚ/
• (Indic) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒp(j)ula(ɾ)/
• Rhymes: -ɒpjələ(ɹ)

Adjective

popular (comparative more popular, superlative most popular)

1. Common among the general public; generally accepted. [from 15th c.]
2. (law) Concerning the people; public. [from 15th c.]
3. Pertaining to or deriving from the people or general public. [from 16th c.]
4. (obsolete) Of low birth, not noble; vulgar, plebian. [16th–17th c.]
5. Aimed at ordinary people, as opposed to specialists etc.; intended for general consumption. [from 16th c.]
6. (obsolete) Cultivating the favour of the common people. [16th–18th c.]
7. Liked by many people; generally pleasing, widely admired. [from 17th c.]
8. Adapted to the means of the common people; cheap. [from 19th c.]

Antonyms

• anonymous
• unpopular

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

popular (plural populars)

1. A person who is popular, especially at a school.
2. (chiefly in the plural) An inexpensive newspaper with wide circulation.
3. A member of the Populares

References

• “popular”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• popular in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
• "popular" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 236.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “popular”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “popular”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin populāris.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [pu.puˈlar]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [po.puˈla]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [po.puˈlaɾ]

Adjective

popular m or f (masculine and feminine plural populars)

1. popular (of the common people)
2. popular (well-known, well-liked)

Derived terms

• popularitzar
• popularment

Related terms

• poble
• popularitat

Further reading

• “popular” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Chavacano

Etymology

Inherited from Spanish popular (“popular”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /popuˈlaɾ/, [po.puˈlaɾ]
• Hyphenation: po‧pu‧lar

Adjective

popular

1. popular

Polish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin populārēs. First attested in the 20th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɔˈpu.lar/
• Rhymes: -ular
• Syllabification: po‧pu‧lar

Noun

popular m pers

1. (Ancient Rome, politics) popular (member of the Populares)

Declension

References

Further reading

• popular in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• popularzy in PWN's encyclopedia

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Latin populāris.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: po‧pu‧lar

Adjective

popular m or f (plural populares)

1. popular (liked by many people)

2. popular (relating to the general public)
3. popular (aimed at ordinary people)

4. (by extension) popular; affordable

   Synonym: barato

5. (politics) democratic (involving the participation of the general public)

   Synonym: democrático

Derived terms

Related terms

• população
• popularidade
• povo

Noun

popular m (plural populares)

1. (formal) civilian (a person who is not working in the police or armed forces)

   Synonym: civil

Noun

popular f (plural populares)

1. cheap accommodation

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: po‧pu‧lar

Verb

popular (first-person singular present populo, first-person singular preterite populei, past participle populado)

1. (databases) to populate (to add initial data to [a database])
2. (rare) to populate

   Synonym: povoar

Conjugation

Further reading

• “popular”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
• “popular”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin popularis, French populaire. By surface analysis, popul +‎ -ar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /po.puˈlar/

Adjective

popular m or n (feminine singular populară, masculine plural populari, feminine and neuter plural populare)

1. popular (of the people)
2. popular (well-liked)

Declension

Related terms

• popula
• popularitate
• populism
• populist
• popor

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin populāris.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /popuˈlaɾ/ [po.puˈlaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: po‧pu‧lar

Adjective

popular m or f (masculine and feminine plural populares)

1. popular
2. (politics, Spain) Pertaining to PP (Partido Popular), a Spanish political party

Derived terms

Related terms

Noun

popular m or f by sense (plural populares)

1. (politics, Spain) a member or supporter of PP (Partido Popular), a Spanish political party

Further reading

• “popular”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• pupular

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish popular.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /popuˈlaɾ/ [po.pʊˈlaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: po‧pu‧lar

Adjective

populár (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜓᜉᜓᜎᜇ᜔)

1. popular

   Synonyms: tanyag, sikat, bantog, kilala, prominente

Related terms

References

• “popular”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018