population

noun

pop·​u·​la·​tion ˌpä-pyə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce population (audio)
1
a
: the whole number of people or inhabitants in a country or region
b
: the total of individuals occupying an area or making up a whole
c
: the total of particles at a particular energy level
—used especially of atoms in a laser
2
: the act or process of populating
3
a
: a body of persons or individuals having a quality or characteristic in common
b(1)
: the organisms inhabiting a particular locality
(2)
: a group of interbreeding organisms that represents the level of organization at which speciation begins
4
: a group of individual persons, objects, or items from which samples are taken for statistical measurement
populational
ˌpä-pyə-ˈlā-shnəl How to pronounce population (audio)
-shə-nᵊl
adjective

Examples of population in a Sentence

The world's population has increased greatly. The city has experienced an increase in population. There has been a sharp reduction in the bat population in this region. the rural population of America
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In fact, most of the early breweries were located in places with large German or Czech populations, with the exceptions of El Paso and Nacogdoches. —Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024 Hence the introduction of the daily SDF (Sustainable Development Fee) that people must pay, as the country wants to ensure that the population benefits from tourism—meaning homestays or farm stays are an important part of the experience here. —Jessica Jungbauer, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024 The Interior Department manages about 75% of all federal land — about 507 million acres — and runs programs relating to the United States' indigenous populations. —Graham Kates, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2024 Voting data shows significant shifts in areas with large immigrant populations. —Basel Touchan, TIME, 22 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for population 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin populātiōn-, populātiō "group of people, crowd," from Latin populus people entry 1 + -ā-, stem vowel of 1st conjugation verbs + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

Note: This noun appears to have been formed from a verb populāre "to people, provide with inhabitants" that is not attested before the later Middle Ages. (At the corresponding entry in the Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, a verb populāre with the sense "to increase" is cited with the date "c550 in a British source," though there is no matching record in Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources.) Thesaurus Linguae Latinae has two citations for a verb populāre meaning "to show, reveal," in the Vetus Latina and Gregory of Tours, that the editor judged to be errors for prōpalāre, a derivative of classical prōpalam "in full view, openly."

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of population was in 1612

Phrases Containing population

Dictionary Entries Near population

populate

population

population density

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Population.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/population. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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Kids Definition

population

noun
pop·​u·​la·​tion ˌpäp-yə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce population (audio)
1
: the whole number of people living in a country or region
2
: the act or process of populating
3
: a group of one or more species of organisms living in a particular area or habitat

Medical Definition

population

noun
pop·​u·​la·​tion ˌpäp-yə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce population (audio)
1
: the whole number of people or inhabitants in a country or region
2
a
: a body of persons or individuals having a quality or characteristic in common
b(1)
: the organisms inhabiting a particular locality
(2)
: a group of interbreeding organisms that represents the level of organization at which speciation begins
3
: a group of individual persons, objects, or items from which samples are taken for statistical measurement

More from Merriam-Webster on population

Nglish: Translation of population for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of population for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about population

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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