populous
gb/pˈɑpjələs/ us/pˈɑpjələs/
B2
English
~ 9400
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
having many people living there
If a place is populous, many people live there.
Usage pattern:
a populous [country/city/area/region]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "populous" with "popular". "Populous" describes how many people live in a place (a populous city = many people live there). "Popular" describes how much people like something or someone (a popular city = many people like it or visit it). Some learners also try to use "populous" as a noun (e.g., "the populous"), but the correct noun is "population" or "populace".
Synonyms
densely populated (More explicitly focuses on population density per unit of area and sounds slightly more technical.)
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highly populated (Very close in meaning, slightly more informal and descriptive than the single-word adjective "populous".)
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crowded (Suggests an uncomfortable number of people in a space, while "populous" is more neutral and used for larger geographic areas.)
Antonyms
sparsely populated (Describes a place where few people live in a large area, the direct opposite of "populous" in demographic contexts.)
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thinly populated (Similar to "sparsely populated", focusing on a low number of people spread over an area.)
Collocations
populous country
|populous city
|populous region
|populous state
|populous area
|the most populous nation
Themes
geography
|society
|demographics
|core_vocabulary
|space
Examples
- China and India are among the most populous countries in the world.
- The coastal region is more populous than the mountainous interior.
- Jakarta is a highly populous city with serious traffic problems.
- The report compared birth rates in the most populous states.
- As the area became more populous, demand for public transportation increased.
Learner examples
- India is a very populous country.
- This city is populous and full of life.
- The north of the island is more populous than the south.
- They moved from a small village to a populous town.
- Many populous areas need better public services.
Grammar
Dictionary form
populous
IPA
GB/pˈɑpjələs/
US/pˈɑpjələs/
Syllables & stress
pop - u - lous (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pop)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: populous
Word family
Core family
population
noun A2
populate
verb B2
Related words
populated
adjective
populace
noun C1
Negative and opposite forms
unpopulated
adjective
depopulate
verb
depopulation
noun
Advanced or less common
overpopulation
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.