pop ‧ u ‧ la ‧ tion S2 W1 /ˌpɒpjəˈleɪʃ ə n, ˌpɒpjʊˈleɪʃ ə n $ ˌpɑː-/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: adjective : populated ≠ UNPOPULATED , ↑ populous ; verb : ↑ populate ; noun : ↑ population ]
1 . [countable] the number of people living in a particular area, country etc
population of
India has a population of more than one billion.
Nearly 70 percent of the population still live in the countryside,
2 . [countable usually singular] all of the people who live in a particular area:
Most of the world’s population doesn’t get enough to eat.
white/French/urban etc population (=part of the group of people who live in a particular area who are white, French etc)
South Florida has a large Jewish population.
3 . centre of population/population centre a city, town etc:
Cromer is the main centre of population in this area.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + population
▪ the total/whole/entire population
The entire population will be celebrating.
▪ the world's population
Sixty percent of the world's population live in areas that are at risk from sea-level rises.
▪ the general population
Ethnic minorities suffer more than the general population.
▪ the local population
The local population gave them a warm welcome.
▪ the black/white population (=black or white people who live in a place )
Unemployment is greater among the black population.
▪ the Jewish/Muslim/Asian etc population (=the people of a particular nationality or religion who live in a place)
the city's 4,000 strong Asian population
▪ the indigenous population formal (=the people who have always lived in a place)
His new book assesses the impact of Spanish culture on the indigenous population of Mexico.
▪ the urban population (=the people who live in towns or cities)
The region's urban population will more than double in the next two decades.
▪ the rural population (=the people who live in the countryside)
Agricultural reforms must address the needs of the rural population.
▪ the adult population
A third of the adult population pay no tax at all.
▪ the elderly population
Should the entire elderly population be regularly screened for this disease?
▪ an ageing population (=gradually becoming older on average)
The rapidly ageing population will put a strain on the country's health care system.
▪ a large population
California is a big state with a large population.
▪ a prison population (=the number of people in prisons in a country or area)
A quarter of the prison population is under 21.
▪ a student population
The university has a student population of almost 5000.
■ verbs
▪ a population grows/increases/rises
Between these years the population grew by 40%.
▪ a population falls/declines/decreases
The population in many rural areas has continued to fall.
▪ a population reaches
Nigeria 's population will reach 532 million in the middle of this century.
■ population + NOUN
▪ population growth
Rapid population growth intensifies competition for land.
▪ population increase
The population increase in the region is a cause for concern.
▪ a population explosion/boom (=when the population increases quickly and by a large amount)
What will be the long-term effects of this population explosion?
▪ population density (=the degree to which an area is filled with people)
Australia has a low population density.
▪ population control (=controlling how many children people have)
It is argued that population control is essential to limit the depletion of natural resources.
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THESAURUS
▪ people people in general:
Most people know that smoking causes lung cancer.
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People are the same everywhere.
▪ folk informal people:
Louisa's parents were country folk and believed very much in herbal remedies.
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They looked like two ordinary folk.
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There are still folk around here who remember the old days.
▪ the public ordinary people, not people who belong to the government or are members of a particular company or organization:
This information should be made available to the public.
▪ population all the people who live in a particular area:
The majority of the population were farmers.
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The city has a population of 11 million.
▪ the human race all the people in the world, considered as a group:
the origins of the human race
▪ mankind ( also humankind ) people in general – used especially when talking about their history or development, or how something affects their existence. Some people think that the word mankind seems to make women seem unimportant, and prefer to use humankind instead:
Travelling into space was a great advance for mankind.
▪ populace formal the people who live in a country – a very formal use:
It is a country where 80% of the populace live in poverty.