DictionaryAI

population

noun
pop-yuh-LAY-shuhn/ˌpɑ.pjəˈleɪ.ʃən/UKpop-yuu-LAY-shuhn/ˌpɒp.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/

Pluralpopulations

7 meanings of population

Practice

  1. 1
    all the peoplenouncountable
    All the people who live in a place, or how many people live there.

    Like all the people in a town added up together.

    The town's population grew quickly after the new factory opened.

    Most of the country's population lives near the coast.

    UsageSay a large or small population, and ask what is the population of a city.

    Similarcommunity

  2. 2
    target groupnouncountable
    A group of people who all share something in common.

    The study looked closely at the population of left-handed adults.

    This new medicine works well for the older population.

    UsagePut the group's word in front or after of: the student population, a population of older people.

    Similargroup

    Note
  3. 3
    species groupnouncountable
    All the animals or plants of one kind living in the same area.

    Like all the rabbits living in one field.

    The deer population in the forest has grown too large.

    Pollution can wipe out a whole fish population.

    UsagePut the animal or plant before population or after of: the deer population, a population of fish.

    Note
  4. 4
    whole setnouncountable
    In statistics, the whole group being studied or counted, from which a sample may be taken.

    Like tasting one spoonful of soup to judge the whole pot.

    To get good results, the sample must match the larger population.

    Researchers studied a small group taken from a much bigger population.

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 5
    prisonnoun
    The main group of prisoners, kept apart from those in special units.

    After a month alone in a special cell, he was sent back to population.

    Guards moved the new inmate into the general population.

    UsageUsually just in population, with no a or the, or the longer general population.

    Note
  2. 6
    filling datanoununcountable
    The act of filling empty spaces or fields with information.

    Like filling every empty cup on a tray.

    The population of the spreadsheet with sales figures took several minutes.

    Automatic population of the form's fields saved users a lot of typing.

    UsageUse of for the thing being filled: the population of a form.

    Similarfilling

    Note
  3. 7
    noun
    The number of live cells in a pattern on a grid.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of population apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Late Latin populatio meaning 'a people' or 'multitude', which came from the Latin word populus meaning 'people'.

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 3 facts