population
pop-yuu-LAY-shuhn
Population (noun) means the total number of people living in a particular place. Example: “The population of the town has doubled in ten years.”
noun
1
The total number of people living in a particular place.
"The population of the town has doubled in ten years."
"The city's population grows every summer when the students arrive."
"A small island population relies heavily on the daily ferry."
2
All the people or things of a particular kind considered together, especially for study.
"The study focused on the diabetic population of the region."
"Researchers studied the elderly population to learn about their sleep habits."
"The wild bird population in the marsh is counted every year."
How to use population
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe number or group of people (or organisms) living somewhere, or a defined group used for study or statistics.
Common pairings
population growth
population density
general population
population decline
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Word forms
- Plural
- populations
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The _____ of the town has doubled in ten years.
Etymology
From Late Latin populatio ("a people, multitude"), formed from Latin populus.
Related words
Rhymes for population
region
ablation
allusion
emulsion
ideation
novation
diffusion
elocution
extension
oxidation
perfusion
selection
See all rhymes for population →
Frequently asked questions
What does “population” mean?
The word “population” means the total number of people living in a particular place. In plain terms, the number or group of people (or organisms) living somewhere, or a defined group used for study or statistics.
How do you pronounce “population”?
“Population” is pronounced pop-yuu-LAY-shuhn (/ˌpɑ.pjəˈleɪ.ʃən/ in IPA).
How do you use “population” in a sentence?
Here is “population” used in a sentence: “The population of the town has doubled in ten years.”
What part of speech is “population”?
“Population” is a noun.
Where does the word “population” come from?
The word “population” comes from Late Latin. From Late Latin populatio ("a people, multitude"), formed from Latin populus.
Is “population” a common word?
“Population” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “population” have?
“Population” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the total number of people living in a particular place.
What is the difference between population and sample?
In statistics, a population is the entire group you want to study, such as every resident of a city. A sample is a smaller subset chosen from that population to represent it. Researchers study a sample because measuring a whole population is often impractical, then use the results to draw broader conclusions.
What is population density?
Population density measures how crowded a place is, calculated by dividing the number of people by the area they live in, usually per square kilometre or mile. A city has a high density, with many people packed together, while remote countryside has a low one. It shows distribution, not just total numbers.
How is a population counted?
The main method is a census, an official count in which a government tries to record every person living in a place, usually at fixed intervals. Between censuses, populations are estimated using birth, death and migration records, along with surveys. These figures guide planning for services, housing and representation.
What is an example of population?
If a town has 20,000 residents, that figure is its population. On a larger scale, the population of a country is everyone living within its borders, and world population is the total number of people on Earth. The word always refers to the count of people in a defined place.
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