overpopulation

noun

over·​pop·​u·​la·​tion ˌō-vər-ˌpä-pyə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce overpopulation (audio)
: the condition of having a population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration, an impaired quality of life, or a population crash

Examples of overpopulation in a Sentence

He is studying the problem of deer overpopulation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tanton kindles a small fire of twigs inside a metal pitcher, while expounding for the camera about ecology and overpopulation. Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2024 But Malthusian predictions of overpopulation have not been borne out: fertility rates gradually declined in many parts of the world even as living standards improved. Philip Coggan, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2020 In the early nineteen-sixties, fears of overpopulation and urban decay were rampant. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024 If overpopulation had once prompted the government to push abortions, South Korea was now dealing with the opposite problem. Gawon Bae, CNN, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overpopulation 

Word History

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overpopulation was in 1802

Dictionary Entries Near overpopulation

Cite this Entry

“Overpopulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overpopulation. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

overpopulation

noun
over·​pop·​u·​la·​tion -ˌpäp-yə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce overpopulation (audio)
: the condition of having too many people living in a certain area

Medical Definition

overpopulation

noun
over·​pop·​u·​la·​tion ˌō-vər-ˌpäp-yə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce overpopulation (audio)
: the condition of having a population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration, an impaired quality of life, or a population crash
overpopulated adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on overpopulation

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