populous

adjective

pop·​u·​lous ˈpä-pyə-ləs 

1

a

: densely populated

b

: having a large population

2

a

: numerous

b

: filled to capacity

populously adverb

populousness noun

Did you know?

With a metropolitan area of more than 20 million people, Mexico City could be called the world's second or third most populous city. And the nearby Aztec city of Tenochtitlán was one of the largest cities in the world even when Hernán Cortés arrived there in 1519. But by the time Cortés conquered the city in 1521 it wasn't nearly so populous, since European diseases had greatly reduced the population. Avoid confusing populous and populace, which are pronounced exactly the same.

Examples of populous in a Sentence

the most populous state in the U.S.

Recent Examples on the Web

The position holds statutory power over voter registration and early voting — complex and pivotal parts of election administration in the state's most populous county. —Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024

Election results could also be slowed down as officials have to process Election Day mail-in ballots and verify signatures before sending them off to be counted, which Maricopa County—the state’s most populous county—said took until the Sunday after Election Day to complete in 2022. —Alison Durkee, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Some voters in the state’s most populous county were forced to wait in line for more than three hours to cast a ballot. —J.d. Davidson | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 4 Nov. 2024

And in Bucks County, a populous area located north of Philadelphia, the Trump campaign won its lawsuit to extend on-demand mail balloting after voters reported long lines and being turned away early on the final day. —Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English populous, populus, borrowed from Latin populōsus, from populus people entry 1 + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

populous

adjective

pop·​u·​lous ˈpäp-yə-ləs 

: having a large population