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

• big
• crowd-pleasing
• du jour
• faddish
• faddy
• fashionable
• favorite
• happening
• hot
• in
• large
• modish
• pop
• popularized
• red-hot
• vogue
• voguish

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The word “groovy” was popular in the 1960s but it's outdated now.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

No wonder it’s won several Korean beauty accolades, including first place in the popular beauty review app Hwahae’s 2024 Beauty Awards. —Devon Abelman, Allure, 11 Feb. 2025

The policy proved popular among voters polled across the political spectrum, but the focus has often been on deporting those with criminal histories. —Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025

As TechCrunch notes, Mobileye’s advanced driver-assistance technology is already installed on some vehicles from popular car makers, such as BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Nissan, Ford, Honda, General Motors, and others. —Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 11 Feb. 2025

The airport is a popular hub for jets coming in and out of the Phoenix area, especially during big sports weekends like the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament, which attracts huge crowds just a few miles away. —Hallie Golden, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025

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

1548, 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 sovereignty
• popular taste

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