ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈlāshən noun
( -s )
Etymology: Late Latin population-, populatio, from Latin populus people + -ation-, -atio, -ation
1.
a. : the whole number of people or inhabitants occupying a specific geographical locality (as an institution, a country, a world)
when in operation, the building will have a daily population of 35,000 — Pencil Points
the entire adult male population of the island except for two old men — Thor Heyerdahl
b. : the total number or amount of things especially within a given area
the tractor population of American farms increased — Reporter
an enormous population of china, ivory, and bronze figures — Osbert Lancaster
2. : the act or process of populating
encourage population of colonies
3.
a. : a body of persons having some quality or characteristic in common and usually thought of as occupying a particular area
a floating population of drifters and rogues
a healthy rural population
b.
(1) : the organisms inhabiting a particular area or biotope
an interesting xerophilic population
the Southern states have shown an average increase … in their beef populations — New York Times
(2) : a group of interbreeding biotypes that represents the level of organization at which speciation begins — compare raciation
4. mathematics : a group of individual persons, objects, or items from which samples are taken for measurement statistically
• pop·u·la·tion·al | ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷|lāshən ə l, -shnəl adjective