popular

UK: /ˈpɒpjʊlə^r/ US: /ˈpɑpjəlɚ/ ,(pop′yə lər)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2023

pop•u•lar /ˈpɑpyəlɚ/   adj. 

1. looked on or thought of with approval or affection by people in general;
   well-liked;
   admired:
   a popular preacher.
2. Government of or relating to the common people or the people as a whole:
   [before a noun] popular government.
3. found among the people generally:
   [before a noun] a popular superstition.
4. appealing to or intended for the public at large:
   [before a noun] popular music.

pop•u•lar•ly, adv.: 

popularly elected.

See -pop-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023

pop•u•lar  (pop′yə lər), adj. 

1. regarded with favor, approval, or affection by people in general:
   a popular preacher.
2. regarded with favor, approval, or affection by an acquaintance or acquaintances:
   He's not very popular with me just now.
3. Government of, pertaining to, or representing the people, esp. the common people:
   popular discontent.
4. Government of the people as a whole, esp. of all citizens of a nation or state qualified to participate in an election:
   popular suffrage;
   the popular vote;
   popular representation.
5. prevailing among the people generally:
   a popular superstition.
6. suited to or intended for the general masses of people:
   popular music.
7. adapted to the ordinary intelligence or taste:
   popular lectures on science.
8. suited to the means of ordinary people;
   not expensive:
   popular prices on all tickets.

• Latin populāris. See people, -ar¹
• late Middle English populer 1375–1425

Synonyms

• 1. favorite, approved, liked.
• 5. common, current. See general. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

popular /ˈpɒpjʊlə/ adj

1. appealing to the general public; widely favoured or admired
2. favoured by an individual or limited group: I'm not very popular with her
3. connected with, representing, or prevailing among the general public; common: popular discontent
4. appealing to or comprehensible to the layman: a popular lecture on physics

n

1. (usually plural) cheap newspapers with mass circulation; the popular press

Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin populāris belonging to the people, democratic, from populus people

popularity /ˌpɒpjʊˈlærɪtɪ/ n