Population Meaning and Definition

Pronunciation

/ˈpɒpjuːleɪʃən/ 🔊

Part of Speech

Noun

Definition

A number of people or animals living or staying in a particular area or country at a given time.

Examples

• The population of the city is growing rapidly.
• The census counted the population of the town.

Synonyms

• People
• Inhabitants

Antonyms

• Isolate
• Minimize

Etymology

The word “population” comes from the Latin words “populus”, meaning “people”, and “atio”, meaning “place” or “condition”, and has been used in English since the 15th century.

Usage Notes

In general, population refers to the total number of people or animals living in a specific area or country. However, there are some subtle differences in usage depending on the context:

• In biology, population refers to a group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area.
• In demography, population refers to the total number of people living in a country or area.

Cultural References

The concept of population has appeared in various forms of media, including:

• Population, a 1966 novel by Kobo Abe.
• Population, a 1994 film by Russ Meyer.

Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases

Some idiomatic expressions or phrases that include the word “population” are:

• “Population explosion”, referring to a sudden and significant increase in population.
• “Population growth”, referring to an increase in the number of people living in an area.

Related Words or Phrases

Some words or phrases closely related in meaning or usage to “population” are:

• Demographics
• Statistics

Collocations

Some common collocations with the term “population” are:

• Population density
• Population growth rate

Frequency of Use

The term “population” is commonly used in various fields, including demography, biology, and sociology, and is considered an essential word in modern language.

Common Misspellings

Common misspellings of the term “population” include:

• Pupulation
• Poupulation