popularize

verb

pop·​u·​lar·​ize ˈpä-pyə-lə-ˌrīz 

popularized; popularizing

intransitive verb

: to cater to popular taste

transitive verb

: to make popular: such as

a

: to cause to be liked or esteemed

b

: to present in generally understandable or interesting form

popularization

ˌpä-pyə-lə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

popularizer

ˈpä-pyə-lə-ˌrī-zər 

noun

Examples of popularize in a Sentence

a phrase that was popularized by its use in a hit TV show

Dream analysis was popularized by Sigmund Freud.

The book presents a popularized version of American history.

Recent Examples on the Web

Open innovation, popularized by Procter & Gamble’s Connect and Develop program in the late ‘90s, tapped outside partners for breakthroughs and fueled at one time over half of its new products. —Robert B. Tucker, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

In this case, the Bram Stoker classic Dracula, the Gothic novel that popularized the vampire genre. —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 25 Aug. 2025

Cropped close to the head and brighter than the average phone screen, the look has been popularized by actress Emma Stone and, as of this week, internet perma-crush Keke Palmer. —Morgan Fargo, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025

Earlier this year, Nintendo helped popularize the microSD Express standard by requiring it for the new Switch 2 console. —Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 15 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from French populariser "to present in a favorable light, make popular," from populaire popular + -iser -ize

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for popularize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

Kids Definition

popularize

verb

pop·​u·​lar·​ize ˈpäp-yə-lə-ˌrīz 

popularized; popularizing

: to make popular

popularization

ˌpäp-yə-lə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

popularizer

ˈpäp-yə-lə-ˌrī-zər 

noun