popular

3 definitions found

popular - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Popular \Pop"u*lar\, a. [L. popularis, fr. populus people: cf.
     F. populaire. See People.]
     1. Of or pertaining to the common people, or to the whole
        body of the people, as distinguished from a select
        portion; as, the popular voice; popular elections.
        "Popular states." --Bacon. "So the popular vote inclines."
        --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The men commonly held in popular estimation are
              greatest at a distance.               --J. H.
                                                    Newman.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Suitable to common people; easy to be comprehended; not
        abstruse; familiar; plain.
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              Homilies are plain popular instructions. --Hooker.
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     3. Adapted to the means of the common people; possessed or
        obtainable by the many; hence, cheap; common; ordinary;
        inferior; as, popular prices; popular amusements.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The smallest figs, called popular figs, . . . are,
              of all others, the basest and of least account.
                                                    --Holland.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Beloved or approved by the people; pleasing to people in
        general, or to many people; as, a popular preacher; a
        popular law; a popular administration.
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     5. Devoted to the common people; studious of the favor of the
        populace. [R.]
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              Such popular humanity is treason.     --Addison.
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     6. Prevailing among the people; epidemic; as, a popular
        disease. [Obs.] --Johnson.
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     Popular action (Law), an action in which any person may sue
        for penalty imposed by statute. --Blackstone.
        [1913 Webster]

popular - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  popular
      adj 1: 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" [ant: unpopular]
      2: carried on by or for the people (or citizens) at large; "the
         popular vote"; "popular representation"; "institutions of
         popular government"
      3: 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" [syn: democratic, popular]
      4: (of music or art) new and of general appeal (especially among
         young people) [syn: popular, pop]

popular - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  190 Moby Thesaurus words for "popular":
     Babbittish, Philistine, accepted, accessible, acclaimed,
     accustomed, admired, admitted, adored, advocated, all the rage,
     all the thing, amateur, applauded, approved, associated, average,
     backed, beloved, besetting, bourgeois, campy, celebrated,
     cherished, civil, collective, collectivistic, common, commonplace,
     communal, communistic, commutual, conformable, congregational,
     conjoint, consuetudinary, conventional, cooperative, coveted,
     cried up, current, customary, darling, dear, dearly beloved,
     desired, distinguished, dominant, epidemic, established, esteemed,
     everyday, fabled, famed, familiar, famous, far-famed, far-heard,
     fashionable, favored, favorite, general, generally accepted,
     habitual, held dear, high-camp, highly touted, hip, homely,
     homespun, honored, hoped-for, hot, household, in, in common,
     in demand, in fashion, in favor, in good odor, in style, in vogue,
     inexpensive, joint, kitschy, laic, laical, lay, leading, legendary,
     longed-for, loved, low, low-camp, low-priced, marked, mod, modern,
     much acclaimed, mutual, mythical, new, newfashioned, nonclerical,
     nonecclesiastical, nonministerial, nonordained, nonpastoral,
     nonreligious, normal, normative, notable, noted, notorious,
     obtaining, occupy, of mark, of note, ordinary, pandemic, people,
     pet, plebeian, pop, populate, precious, predominant, predominating,
     preferred, prescribed, prescriptive, prevailing, prevalent, prized,
     prominent, public, rampant, reasonable, received, reciprocal,
     recommended, regnant, regular, regulation, reigning, renowned,
     revered, rife, routine, ruling, running, secular, secularist,
     secularistic, self-governing, set, simplified, smart, social,
     socialistic, societal, standard, stereotyped, stock, stylish,
     supported, talked-about, talked-of, temporal, tenant, time-honored,
     traditional, treasured, trendy, understandable, universal,
     up-to-date, up-to-datish, up-to-the-minute, usual, vernacular,
     vulgar, wanted, well-beloved, well-known, well-liked,
     well-thought-of, widespread, wished-for, wonted