I. -lə(r) adjective
Etymology: Latin popularis of the people, from populus the people (probably of Etruscan origin) + -aris -ar
1. : relevant to any of the people
popular action at law
2.
a. : of or relating to the general public : constituted or carried on by the people
its few noble horsemen … even in those days did not like popular rebellions — Tom Wintringham
in times of popular panic … freedom of speech becomes important — Zechariah Chafee
b.
(1) : of, relating to, or by the people (as of a nation or state) as a whole as distinguished from a specific class or group
choosing the president by popular suffrage rather than by majority vote of the assembly — Current Biography
popular government
(2) : of, favoring, or involving participation by the common people as distinguished from a specific class or group
the popular party in provincial elections
a truly popular revolution
(3) : based upon or alleged to be based upon the will of the people : involving or held to involve participation by all or the great majority of the people
the Roman constitution … was popular in form — J.A.Froude
communist popular democracies
(4) : representing and usually chosen by vote of the common people as distinguished from a specific class or group
the House of Commons, not the House of Lords, is the popular branch of the British parliament
electing truly popular representatives — Hindustan Times
a popular assembly
3.
a. obsolete : being of low birth : plebeian
b. archaic : having low tastes
4.
a. : adapted to or indicative of the understanding and taste of the majority : easy to comprehend : not abstruse, complicated, or profound : requiring no specialized knowledge or training to appreciate
publishes excellent popular and technical bulletins — American Guide Series: New York City
drama … took on a more popular form, being frequently enacted outside the churches — O.Elfrida Saunders
the difficulty of writing popular science — T.H.Savory
b. : suited to the financial means of the majority of people : moderate in cost : inexpensive
there was room for a weekly journal at a popular price — John Buchan
charcoal, a popular fuel for cooking — American Guide Series: Florida
5. : marked by attempts to gain general goodwill or to curry favor at large
the hypocritical popular first acts of the usurper
6. obsolete : thickly inhabited : crowded , populous
7.
a. : having wide or general currency especially among the rank and file : prevalent , widespread : frequently encountered or widely accepted
a popular instead of an accurate and legal conception — O.W.Holmes †1935
the use of … homespun medicines declines, but some of the more popular are still used — American Guide Series: Arkansas
the popular conviction that there is a poetic vision of things — Samuel Alexander
b. : well liked or admired by a particular group or circle
campsites … are popular with deer hunters and trout fishermen — American Guide Series: Nevada
8. : commonly liked or found pleasant or praiseworthy : approved : given general praise, enthusiasm, liking, or support
the lucidity and brevity that make a first-class popular orator — Times Literary Supplement
book hotel reservations well in advance at all the most popular places — Richard Joseph
triumphantly popular without the slightest effort on his own part — Elinor Wylie
9. : originating among or composed or transmitted by the people, especially by the unlettered
for in all times and places, there have been popular arts of song, dance, storytelling — John Dewey
Synonyms: see common
II. noun
( -s )
archaic : pop VI 1