popular

adjective

pop·​u·​lar ˈpä-pyə-lər 

1

: of or relating to the general public

2

: suitable to the majority: such as

a

: adapted to or indicative of the understanding and taste of the majority

a popular history of the war

b

: suited to the means of the majority : inexpensive

sold at popular prices

3

: frequently encountered or widely accepted

a popular theory

4

: commonly liked or approved

a very popular girl

popularly adverb

Synonyms of popular

• fashionable
• favorite
• popularized

Choose the Right Synonym for popular

common, ordinary, plain, familiar, popular, vulgar mean generally met with and not in any way special, strange, or unusual.

common implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence

a common error

lacked common honesty

and may additionally suggest inferiority or coarseness.

common manners

ordinary stresses conformance in quality or kind with the regular order of things.

an ordinary pleasant summer day

a very ordinary sort of man

plain is likely to suggest homely simplicity.

plain hard-working people

familiar stresses the fact of being generally known and easily recognized.

a familiar melody

popular applies to what is accepted by or prevalent among people in general sometimes in contrast to upper classes or special groups.

a writer of popular romances

vulgar, otherwise similar to popular, is likely to carry derogatory connotations (as of inferiority or coarseness).

souvenirs designed to appeal to the vulgar taste

Examples of popular in a Sentence

They have names that were popular a century ago.

He is a popular guy in school.

Spicy foods have become increasingly popular.

That is a very popular misconception.

The word “groovy” was popular in the 1960s but it's outdated now.

Her theories are popular among social scientists.

a popular history of physics

Recent Examples on the Web

The city's first attempt at hosting the country's most popular sporting event was largely well-received. —CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026

Global online forum Reddit on Friday filed a court challenge to Australia’s world-first law that bans Australian children younger than 16 from holding accounts on the world’s most popular social media platforms. —ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026

Sunday, April 26 Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers popular toys, scientific studies, natural disasters, holidays, and trending news. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026

Food and drink Four Seasons Minneapolis’s premier dining establishment is the ground-floor Mara Restaurant, whose chef is Gavin Kaysen, a local star who returned to his native city after working for Daniel Boulud to open the popular spots Spoon and Stable, Bellecour, and Demi. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin populāris "of the whole people, used by ordinary people, of the common people, professing to support the interests of the people, liked by the general public," from populus "a human community, people, nation, the people (transcending the individuals composing it), the general public" + -āris -ar — more at people entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing popular

• anti-popular
• by popular demand
• contrary to popular belief
• contrary to popular opinion
• popular demand
• popular front
• popular opinion
• popular sovereignty
• popular taste

Rhymes for popular

• unpopular

Kids Definition

popular

adjective

pop·​u·​lar ˈpäp-yə-lər 

1

: of, relating to, or coming from the whole body of people

popular government

2

: suitable for the average person (as in low price or ease of understanding)

popular prices

popular science

3

: generally current : prevalent

popular opinion

4

: commonly liked or approved

a popular teacher

popularity

ˌpäp-yə-ˈlar-ət-ē

noun

popularly adverb

Etymology

from Latin popularis "of the people," from populus "the people" — related to public

Legal Definition

popular

adjective

pop·​u·​lar

1

: of or relating to the general public

2

a

: of, relating to, or by the people (as of a nation or state) as a whole as distinguished from a specific class or group

b

: based on or alleged to be based on the will of the people