popular
A1neutral
Definition
Meaning
liked, admired, or enjoyed by many people
suited to the taste, understanding, or means of the general public; prevailing among the general public; relating to the people as a whole
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Describes something widely accepted, prevalent, or favored; can refer to people, ideas, products, or trends. Often implies mainstream appeal rather than elite or specialized approval.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal lexical difference. Both use 'popular' identically. Slight variation in collocational frequency (e.g., 'popular press' more common in UK).
Connotations
In both, can have slightly negative connotation when implying lack of sophistication (e.g., 'popular science').
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
popular with [people]popular among [group]popular for [reason]popular as [role]popular in [place/time]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “popular vote”
- “popular opinion”
- “popular front”
- “populár science”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to products, services, or brands with high market acceptance.
Academic
Used in sociology/political science ('popular culture', 'popular sovereignty'); sometimes contrasted with 'academic' or 'elite'.
Everyday
Describes people, places, activities, or trends widely liked.
Technical
In statistics, 'popular' may mean 'of the population' (e.g., popular vote).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The band populärised the new dance style.
American English
- The show popularized the catchphrase nationwide.
adverb
British English
- The theory was once popularly believed.
American English
- The show is popularly known by its abbreviation.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- This song is very popular.
- She is a popular teacher at school.
- The new policy proved unpopular with voters.
- Social media has become increasingly popular among teenagers.
- Despite critical acclaim, the film never gained popular appeal.
- The president's approval ratings indicate he remains broadly popular.
- The concept of popular sovereignty underpins many modern democracies.
- Her work examines the tension between high art and popular culture.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a POP star being ULAR-gely loved by many (POP + ULAR).
Conceptual Metaphor
APPROVAL IS HEIGHT ('soaring popularity'), APPROVAL IS HEAT ('white-hot popularity'), APPROVAL IS A LIQUID ('wave of popularity').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'популярный' which can mean 'well-known' even if not liked; English 'popular' strongly implies being liked, not just known.
- Avoid using 'popular' as a direct equivalent of 'народный' (folk, people's) except in fixed phrases like 'popular front'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'popular' to mean 'famous' without the 'liked' component (e.g., 'He is popular but many people hate him' is contradictory).
- Overusing 'popular' instead of more specific adjectives like 'trendy', 'mainstream', 'well-received'.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'popular' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it commonly describes ideas, products, places, activities, or trends (e.g., a popular book, a popular holiday destination).
'Famous' means widely known, while 'popular' means widely liked. Someone can be famous but not popular (e.g., a notorious criminal).
Mostly, but it can be neutral or slightly negative when implying mainstream or non-elite status (e.g., 'popular journalism' vs. 'academic press').
'Popularity' is the noun (e.g., the popularity of social media). The verb is 'popularize' (UK: 'popularise').
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