popular Hear it!

popular definition

popu·lar (päpyə lər)

adjective

  1. of or carried on by the common people or all the people popular government
  2. appealing to or intended for the general public popular music
  3. within the means of the ordinary person popular prices
  4. accepted among people in general; common; prevalent a popular notion
  5. liked by very many or most people a popular actor
  6. very well liked by one's friends and acquaintances

Etymology: L popularis < populus, people

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

popular Synonyms

popular

modif.

  1. Generally liked

    favorite, well-liked, approved, well-received, sought-after, fashionable, stylish, beloved, attractive, praised, promoted, acclaimed, recommended, in the public eye, in demand, celebrated, noted, admired, famous, in favor, in high favor, favored, successful, in vogue, all the rage*, in*, hot*, big*, trendy*, on everybody's lips*; see also fashionable, modern 1.

    Antonyms unknown*, in disrepute, out of favor.

  2. Cheap

    low-priced, popular-priced, marked down; see cheap 1, economical 2.

  3. Commonly accepted

    general, familiar, prevalent, prevailing, current, common, accepted, rife, in use, widespread, ordinary, adopted, embraced, having caught on, in the majority, having caught the popular fancy; see also common 1, conventional 1, 2, traditional 2.

  4. Appealing to or intended for the general public

    accessible, lay, popularized, simplified, commercial, bourgeois, vulgar, pop*, geared-down*, dumbed-down*, kitschy*.

  5. Pertaining to ordinary people

    mass, public, grass-roots*; see democratic, republican. See syn. study at common.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

popular Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • hugely: He is also hugely popular on his home stage.

Preposition: with

  • walker: Part of the Balmoral Estate these mountains are extremely popular with walkers.

Preposition: for

  • decade: First airing in 1967, Speed Racer has remained popular for decades, from its original.. .

Modifies a noun

  • destination: Read more - Morocco - the increasingly popular destination of choice for us Brits.

Used with adjective complement

  • prove: Russian courses in London are proving popular among businessmen wishing to deal with the former USSR.
popular usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

popular quotes

Curse on his virtues! they've undone his country. Such popular humanity is treason.

-Addison,Joseph

He's very popular among his mates. I think I'm Auden, he thinks he'sYeats.

-Ewart, Gavin Buchanan

Beware of over-great pleasure in being popular or even beloved.

-Fuller, (Sarah) Margaret, Marchioness Ossoli

popular quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"popular." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/popular>

APA Style

popular. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/popular

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