Word of the Day

: January 7, 2007

vox populi

noun VOKS-POP-yoo-lye

What It Means

: popular sentiment

vox populi in Context

It's too early to determine with certainty just how much influence the vox populi will really have on the new governor's policy decisions.

Did You Know?

"Vox populi" is a Latin phrase that literally translates as "the voice of the people." It can be found in the longer maxim, "Vox populi, vox Dei," which means "The voice of the people is the voice of God." Many people think that expression means that the people are always right, but it really implies that the will of the masses -- right or wrong -- is often irresistible. Since the mid-1960s, English speakers, especially British ones, have trimmed "vox populi" down to the abbreviated form "vox pop," an expression used particularly for popular opinion as it is used and expressed by the media.