pop·u·lar

(pŏp′yə-lər)

adj.

1. Widely liked or appreciated: a popular resort.

2. Liked by acquaintances; sought after for company: "Beware of over-great pleasure in being popular or even beloved" (Margaret Fuller).

3. Of, representing, or carried on by the people at large: the popular vote.

4. Fit for, adapted to, or reflecting the taste of the people at large: popular entertainment; popular science.

5. Accepted by or prevalent among the people in general: a popular misunderstanding of the issue.

6. Suited to or within the means of ordinary people: popular prices.

7. Originating among the people: popular legend.

[Middle English populer, commonly known, from Old French populeir, of the people, from Latin populāris, from populus, the people, of Etruscan origin.]

pop′u·lar·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

pop•u•lar

(ˈpɒp yə lər)

adj.

1. regarded with approval or affection by people in general: a popular preacher.

2. of, pertaining to, or representing the common people or the people as a whole: popular government; popular suffrage.

3. prevailing among the people generally: a popular superstition.

4. appealing to or intended for the public at large: popular music.

5. adapted to the tastes, means, etc., of ordinary persons: popular lectures; popular prices.

[1375–1425; late Middle English populer < Latin populāris. See people, -ar¹]

pop′u•lar•ly, adv.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.	1.	popular - regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public; "a popular tourist attraction"; "a popular girl"; "cabbage patch dolls are no longer popular" unpopular - regarded with disfavor or lacking general approval; "unpopular ideas"; "an unpopular war"
	2.	popular - carried on by or for the people (or citizens) at large; "the popular vote"; "popular representation"; "institutions of popular government" democratic - characterized by or advocating or based upon the principles of democracy or social equality; "democratic government"; "a democratic country"; "a democratic scorn for bloated dukes and lords"- George du Maurier
	3.	popular - representing or appealing to or adapted for the benefit of the people at large; "democratic art forms"; "a democratic or popular movement"; "popular thought"; "popular science"; "popular fiction" democratic common - having no special distinction or quality; widely known or commonly encountered; average or ordinary or usual; "the common man"; "a common sailor"; "the common cold"; "a common nuisance"; "followed common procedure"; "it is common knowledge that she lives alone"; "the common housefly"; "a common brand of soap"
	4.	popular - (of music or art) new and of general appeal (especially among young people) pop artistic creation, artistic production, art - the creation of beautiful or significant things; "art does not need to be innovative to be good"; "I was never any good at art"; "he said that architecture is the art of wasting space beautifully" music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner nonclassical - not classical

1. (= well-liked) the show is proving very popular → el espectáculo está gozando de mucho éxito or goza de mucha popularidad
I'm not very popular in the office just now → en este momento no gozo de mucha simpatía en la oficina
this is one of our most popular lines (Comm) → esta es una de nuestras líneas más vendidas
to be popular with sb he's popular with the girls → tiene éxito con las chicas
I'm not very popular with her at the moment → en este momento no soy santo de su devoción
she's very popular with her colleagues → goza de mucha simpatía entre sus colegas
the area is popular with holidaymakers → es una zona muy frecuentada por los turistas

2. (= fashionable) → de moda
long skirts are popular → las faldas largas están de moda

3. (= widespread) [image, belief] → generalizado
contrary to popular belief or opinion → en contra de or contrario a lo que comúnmente se cree
by popular demand or request → a petición del público, respondiendo a la demanda general
it's a popular misconception that → mucha gente piensa equivocadamente que ...

4. (= of the people) [unrest, support] → popular; [uprising] → popular, del pueblo
he has great popular appeal → goza del favor del público
popular feeling is against him → el sentir popular or del pueblo está en su contra
popular opinion → la opinión general

5. (= appealing to the layman) [culture, music, art, version] → popular

B. CPD popular front N → frente m popular
the popular press N → la prensa popular
the popular vote N → el voto popular

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

(= well-liked) → populaire
She's a very popular girl → C'est une fille très populaire.
This is a very popular style → C'est un style très populaire.
to be popular with sb [food, activity] → avoir du succès auprès de qn; [person] → avoir du succès auprès de qn
Ice cream is always popular with children → La glace a toujours du succès auprès des enfants.
She is very popular with the general public → Elle a beaucoup de succès auprès du grand public.

(= fashionable) [name] → à la mode

[ideas, feelings, attitudes] → répandu(e)
contrary to popular belief ... → contrairement à ce que croient les gens ...

[uprising] → populaire; [support] → du peuple popular culture, popular music, popular presspopular culture n (contemporary) → culture f populaire; (traditional) → culture f populaire

(= well-liked) → beliebt (with bei); (with the public) → populär, beliebt (with bei); decision, measure → populär; I know I won’t be popular if I decide that, but … → ich weiß, dass ich mich nicht gerade beliebt mache, wenn ich so entscheide, aber …; he’s not the most popular of men at the moment → er ist im Augenblick nicht gerade einer der Beliebtesten or (with the public also) → Populärsten; he was a very popular choice → seine Wahl fand großen Anklang

(= suitable for the general public) → populär; music → leicht; prices → erschwinglich; lectures, journal → populärwissenschaftlich; television, entertainer → populär, beliebt; newspaper → weitverbreitet; popular appeal → Massenappeal m; popular edition → Volksausgabe f; popular newspaper → Boulevardblatt nt; popular science → Populärwissenschaft f; popular theatre → Volkstheater nt, → Boulevardtheater nt; a series of popular concerts → eine Reihe volkstümlicher Konzerte

(= widespread) belief, fallacy, conviction, discontent, myth → weitverbreitet, weit verbreitet; popular remedy → Hausmittel nt; contrary to popular belief or opinion → entgegen der landläufigen Annahme or Meinung; fruit teas are becoming increasingly popular → Früchtetees erfreuen sich zunehmender Beliebtheit; it’s popular to despise politicians these days → es gehört heutzutage zum guten Ton, sich über Politiker abfällig zu äußern

(Pol) (= of or for the people) government, approval, consent, support → des Volkes; (= democratic, public) vote → öffentlich, allgemein; referendum → öffentlich, offen, allgemein; demand → groß, allgemein; democracy → allgemein; popular uprising → Volksaufstand m; popular movement → Volksbewegung f; popular mandate → Mandat nt; he isn’t the popular idea of a great leader → er entspricht nicht gerade der gängigen Vorstellung von einem großen Führer; to rule by popular consent → mit Zustimmung der Allgemeinheit regieren; by popular request → auf allgemeinen Wunsch

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007