population

noun

pop·​u·​la·​tion ˌpä-pyə-ˈlā-shən 

1

a

: the whole number of people or inhabitants in a country or region

b

: the total of individuals occupying an area or making up a whole

c

: the total of particles at a particular energy level

—used especially of atoms in a laser

2

: the act or process of populating

3

a

: a body of persons or individuals having a quality or characteristic in common

b(1)

: the organisms inhabiting a particular locality

(2)

: a group of interbreeding organisms that represents the level of organization at which speciation begins

4

: a group of individual persons, objects, or items from which samples are taken for statistical measurement

populational

ˌpä-pyə-ˈlā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

adjective

Examples of population in a Sentence

The world's population has increased greatly.

The city has experienced an increase in population.

There has been a sharp reduction in the bat population in this region.

the rural population of America

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertisement Last year’s fertility rate — the number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime on average — was among the lowest in the world, at 0.72, far short of the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population. —Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024

This remote community — population less than 100 — in the Stehekin Valley is only accessible by plane, boat, or foot. —Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin population-, populatio, from Latin populus

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing population

• population density
• population drift
• population explosion

Kids Definition

population

noun

pop·​u·​la·​tion ˌpäp-yə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: the whole number of people living in a country or region

2

: the act or process of populating

3

: a group of one or more species of organisms living in a particular area or habitat

Medical Definition

population

noun

pop·​u·​la·​tion ˌpäp-yə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: the whole number of people or inhabitants in a country or region

2

a

: a body of persons or individuals having a quality or characteristic in common

b(1)

: the organisms inhabiting a particular locality

(2)

: a group of interbreeding organisms that represents the level of organization at which speciation begins

3

: a group of individual persons, objects, or items from which samples are taken for statistical measurement