popular
Definitions
Liked or enjoyed by many people.
受欢迎的，受很多人喜爱的。
Intended for or suited to ordinary people; not specialist (popular science, popular music).
大众的，面向普通人的；通俗的（如科普、流行音乐）。
Of, held by, or coming from the people as a whole (popular vote, popular opinion).
民众的，由全体人民持有或发起的（如普选、民意）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedpopul (people) + -ar (relating to) = 'belonging to / of the people.' That older political sense (a popular vote = the whole people's vote) slid naturally to 'liked by the people,' which is the everyday meaning now. Both senses still live on, which is why 'popular opinion' means what the people think, not just a well-liked view.
Root popul still carries 6 more wordsWhy It Means This
popular hides two layers of history. Originally it meant 'of the people' — a popular assembly was one of the whole citizenry, a popular uprising came from the common people. From 'belonging to the people' it was a short step to 'favored by the people,' and that became the dominant modern sense (a popular song, a popular leader). The old layer still surfaces in fixed phrases: popular vote, popular opinion, popular sovereignty — here 'popular' means 'of the people as a body,' not 'well-liked.'
Common Collocations
- 1.popular culture流行文化
- 2.popular opinion民众舆论
- 3.popular vote普选
- 4.popular with受……欢迎
Example Sentences
- 1.
Pizza is one of the most popular foods in the world.
- 2.
She wrote a popular guide to astronomy for general readers.
- 3.
The president won the popular vote but lost the election.
- 4.
The new policy is popular with younger voters.
Easily Confused
popular vs famous — both describe being widely known, but popular means liked (a popular teacher), while famous just means known, good or bad (a famous criminal is not popular). Also note 'popular with someone' (the phrase takes with, not by): 'The app is popular with students.'