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

Governorships in large, populous states such as Veracruz and Jalisco are also drawing interest. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 June 2024

The influence of these areas in the past has been dominated by that of the more populous Mission Hills. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2024

Still, Phoenix gained some ground on the sixth most populous city Philadephia, cementing the Valley's spot as the fifth-largest. —Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 21 May 2024

The uptick in international students has been especially spurred by students from India, which became the most populous country in the world in April 2023. —Alysa Guffey, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin populosus, from populus people

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