noun · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌpɒp.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/
UK:/ˌpɒp.juːˈleɪ.ʃən/
US:/ˌpɑ.pjəˈleɪ.ʃən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
New-Jersey:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:P AA2 P Y AH0 L EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The people living within a political or geographical boundary.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The population of New Jersey will not stand for this!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The people with a given characteristic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Examples
India has the third-largest population of English-speakers in the world.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A count of the number of residents within a political or geographical boundary such as a town, a nation or the world.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The town’s population is only 243.
population explosion; population growth
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A count of the number of residents within a political or geographical boundary such as a town, a nation or the world.
The number of living cells in a pattern.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
a group of organisms of the same species inhabiting a given area
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
they hired hunters to keep down the deer population
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: group, grouping
Narrower terms: overpopulation
12
noun
Meaning 12
the people who inhabit a territory or state
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the population seemed to be well fed and clothed
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: people
Narrower terms: home front
13
noun
Meaning 13
the number of inhabitants (either the total number or the number of a particular race or class) in a given place (country or city etc.)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
people come and go, but the population of this town has remained approximately constant for the past decade
the African-American population of Salt Lake City has been increasing
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: integer, whole number
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin populatio (“a people, multitude”), as if a noun of action from Classical Latin populus, equivalent to populate + -ion. Doublet of poblacion.
Across languages
Translations
243 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
bevolking
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Albanian:
popullsi
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Albanian:
popullatë
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Arabic:
سُكَّان
(sukkān)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic:
ܥܵܡܘܿܪܹ̈ܐ
(ˁāmōrē)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Armenian:
բնակչություն
(bnakčʻutʻyun)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Azerbaijani:
əhali
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Basque:
biztanleria
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Belarusian:
насе́льніцтва
(nasjélʹnictva)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Bengali:
জনসংখ্যা
(jonośoṅkha)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Bulgarian:
населе́ние
(naselénie)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Burmese:
လူဦးရေ
(luu:re)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Catalan:
població
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Cebuano:
kamulupyohan
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Chinese Cantonese:
人口
(jan4 hau2)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Eastern Min Chinese:
人口
(ìng-kēu)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Hakka Chinese:
人口
(ngìn-khiéu)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Chinese:
人口
(zh-min-nan)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Chinese Mandarin:
人口
(rénkǒu)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Wu Chinese:
人口
(6zen-kheu)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Crimean Tatar:
eali
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Crimean Tatar:
nufus
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Czech:
obyvatelstvo
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Czech:
populace
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Danish:
befolkning
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Dutch:
bevolking
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Dutch:
populatie
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Esperanto:
loĝantaro
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Estonian:
elanikkond
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Estonian:
rahvastik
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Finnish:
väestö
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
French:
population
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Galician:
poboación
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Georgian:
მოსახლეობა
(mosaxleoba)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
German:
Bevölkerung
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Bavarian German:
Bevökarung
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Greek:
πληθυσμός
(plithysmós)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Gujarati:
વસ્તી
(vastī)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Hebrew:
אוכלוסייה \ אֻכְלוּסִיָּה
(ukhlusiyá)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Hebrew:
אוכלוסין \ אֻכְלוּסִין
(ukhlusín)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Hindi:
जनसंख्या
(jansaṅkhyā)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Hindi:
आबादी
(ābādī)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Hungarian:
lakosság
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Hungarian:
népesség
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Icelandic:
fólksfjöldi
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Icelandic:
íbúar
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Icelandic:
mannfjöldi
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Indonesian:
populasi
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Italian:
popolazione
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Jamaican Creole:
papilieshan
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Japanese:
人口
(jinkō)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Javanese:
cacah jiwa
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Kazakh:
халық
(xalyq)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Khmer:
ប្រជាជន
(prɑɑciəcŭən)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Khmer:
ប្រជាគណន៍
(prɑɑciə kŭən)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Korean:
인구
(in'gu)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Kyrgyz:
калк
(kalk)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Ladino:
poblasyon
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Ladino:
פובלאסיון
(poblasyon)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Lao:
ປະຊາກອນ
(pa sā kǭn)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Latvian:
iedzīvotāji
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Ligurian:
popolaçión
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Lithuanian:
gyventojai
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Luxembourgish:
Bevëlkerung
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Macedonian:
население
(naselenie)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Macedonian:
популација
(populacija)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Malay:
penduduk
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Malay:
populasi
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Malayalam:
ജനസംഖ്യ
(janasaṅkhya)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Māori:
taupori
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Mongolian:
хүн ам
(xün am)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Norman:
populâtion
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Northern Altai:
калык-ньон
(kalïk-nʹon)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Norwegian Bokmål:
befolkning
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Norwegian Nynorsk:
befolkning
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Norwegian Nynorsk:
folkesetnad
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Occitan:
populacion
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Old English:
landwaru
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Old English:
leodræ
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Old English:
þeodscipe
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Old English:
eorþwaru
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Oromo:
uummata
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Pashto:
نفوس
(nofus)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Pashto:
اهالي
(ahāli)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Persian:
چبیره
(čabire)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Iranian Persian:
جَمْعِیَّت
(jam'iyyat)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Iranian Persian:
اَهْلِیَّت
(ahliyyat)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Iranian Persian:
نُفوس
(nofus)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Iranian Persian:
مَرْدُم
(mardom)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Iranian Persian:
اَهالی
(ahâli)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Plautdietsch:
Bevelkjarunk
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Polish:
ludność
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Polish:
populacja
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Portuguese:
população
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Romanian:
populație
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Russian:
населе́ние
(naselénije)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Serbo-Croatian:
становни́штво
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Serbo-Croatian:
попула́ција
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Serbo-Croatian:
stanovníštvo
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Serbo-Croatian:
populácija
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Sicilian:
pupulazziuni
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Slovak:
obyvateľstvo
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Slovak:
populácia
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Slovene:
prebivalstvo
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Slovene:
populacija
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Southern Altai:
калык
(kalïk)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Spanish:
población
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Swedish:
befolkning
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Swedish:
population
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Tagalog:
populasyon
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Tagalog:
santauhan
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Tajik:
маскун
(maskun)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Tajik:
аҳолӣ
(aholi)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Tajik:
мардум
(mardum)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Tamil:
மக்கள்தொகை
(makkaḷtokai)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Tatar:
халык
(xalıq)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Telugu:
జనాభా
(janābhā)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Thai:
ประชากร
(bprà-chaa-gɔɔn)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Tibetan:
མི་ཚོགས
(mi tshogs)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Turkish:
nüfus
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Turkish:
popülasyon
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Turkmen:
ilat
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Udmurt:
улӥсьёс
(uliśjos)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Ukrainian:
насе́лення
(nasélennja)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Urdu:
آبادی
(ābādī)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Urdu:
نُفُوس
(nufūs)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Uzbek:
aholi
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Uzbek:
xalq
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Uzbek:
nufus
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Vietnamese:
dân cư
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Wolof:
way-dëkk
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Yiddish:
באַפֿעלקערונג
(bafelkerung)
— all people living within a political or geographical boundary
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic:
ܥܲܡܵܐ
(ˁammā)
— biology: collection of organisms
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic:
ܥܵܡܘܿܪܹ̈ܐ
(ˁāmōrē)
— biology: collection of organisms
Armenian:
պոպուլյացիա
(populyacʻia)
— biology: collection of organisms
Azerbaijani:
populyasiya
— biology: collection of organisms
Belarusian:
папуля́цыя
(papuljácyja)
— biology: collection of organisms
Bulgarian:
попула́ция
(populácija)
— biology: collection of organisms
Chinese Mandarin:
種群 /种群
(zhǒngqún)
— biology: collection of organisms
Czech:
populace
— biology: collection of organisms
Danish:
population
— biology: collection of organisms
Dutch:
populatie
— biology: collection of organisms
Dutch:
bevolking
— biology: collection of organisms
Estonian:
populatsioon
— biology: collection of organisms
Estonian:
asurkond
— biology: collection of organisms
Finnish:
kanta
— biology: collection of organisms
Finnish:
populaatio
— biology: collection of organisms
French:
population
— biology: collection of organisms
Georgian:
პოპულაცია
(ṗoṗulacia)
— biology: collection of organisms
German:
Population
— biology: collection of organisms
Hebrew:
אוכלוסייה \ אֻכְלוּסִיָּה
(ukhlusiyá)
— biology: collection of organisms
Hebrew:
אוכלוסין \ אֻכְלוּסִין
(ukhlusín)
— biology: collection of organisms
Hungarian:
populáció
— biology: collection of organisms
Hungarian:
népesség
— biology: collection of organisms
Japanese:
個体群
(kotaigun)
— biology: collection of organisms
Khmer:
ចំនួនប្រជាជន
(cɑmnuən-prɑɑciəcŭən)
— biology: collection of organisms
Korean:
개체군
(gaechegun)
— biology: collection of organisms
Macedonian:
популација
(populacija)
— biology: collection of organisms
Malay:
populasi
— biology: collection of organisms
Norman:
populâtion
— biology: collection of organisms
Norwegian Bokmål:
bestand
— biology: collection of organisms
Norwegian Bokmål:
populasjon
— biology: collection of organisms
Norwegian Nynorsk:
bestand
— biology: collection of organisms
Norwegian Nynorsk:
populasjon
— biology: collection of organisms
Polish:
populacja
— biology: collection of organisms
Portuguese:
população
— biology: collection of organisms
Russian:
популя́ция
(populjácija)
— biology: collection of organisms
Serbo-Croatian:
попула́ција
— biology: collection of organisms
Serbo-Croatian:
populácija
— biology: collection of organisms
Slovak:
populácia
— biology: collection of organisms
Slovene:
populacija
— biology: collection of organisms
Swedish:
population
— biology: collection of organisms
Swedish:
bestånd
— biology: collection of organisms
Tajik:
популятсия
(populyatsiya)
— biology: collection of organisms
Ukrainian:
популя́ція
(populjácija)
— biology: collection of organisms
Uzbek:
populyatsiya
— biology: collection of organisms
Arabic:
سُكَّانِيَّة
(sukkāniyya)
— number of residents in a given area
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic:
ܡܸܢܝܵܢܹ̈ܐ ܕܥܵܡܘܿܪܹ̈ܐ
(minyānē dˁāmōrē)
— number of residents in a given area
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic:
ܥܵܡܘܿܪܹ̈ܐ
(ˁāmōrē)
— number of residents in a given area
Armenian:
բնակչություն
(bnakčʻutʻyun)
— number of residents in a given area
Chinese Mandarin:
人口
(rénkǒu)
— number of residents in a given area
Dutch:
bevolking
— number of residents in a given area
Dutch:
inwonertal
— number of residents in a given area
Estonian:
rahvaarv
— number of residents in a given area
Faroese:
fólkatal
— number of residents in a given area
Finnish:
asukasluku
— number of residents in a given area
Finnish:
väkiluku
— number of residents in a given area
German:
Bevölkerungszahl
— number of residents in a given area
German:
Einwohnerzahl
— number of residents in a given area
Hebrew:
אוכלוסייה \ אֻכְלוּסִיָּה
(ukhlusiyá)
— number of residents in a given area
Hebrew:
אוכלוסין \ אֻכְלוּסִין
(ukhlusín)
— number of residents in a given area
Hindi:
जनसंख्या
(jansaṅkhyā)
— number of residents in a given area
Hindi:
मर्दुमशुमारी
(mardumśumārī)
— number of residents in a given area
Hindi:
जनगणना
(jangaṇnā)
— number of residents in a given area
Hungarian:
népesség
— number of residents in a given area
Hungarian:
lélekszám
— number of residents in a given area
Japanese:
人口
(jinkō)
— number of residents in a given area
Kazakh:
халық саны
(xalyq sany)
— number of residents in a given area
Korean:
인구
(in'gu)
— number of residents in a given area
Malay:
penduduk
— number of residents in a given area
Malay:
populasi
— number of residents in a given area
Malayalam:
ജനസംഖ്യ
(janasaṅkhya)
— number of residents in a given area
Marathi:
लोकसंख्या
(loksaṅkhyā)
— number of residents in a given area
Northern Altai:
калык-ньонныг тоозы
(kalïk-nʹonnïg toozï)
— number of residents in a given area
Northern Altai:
эл кӧби
(el köbi)
— number of residents in a given area
Northern Altai:
улустынъ кӧби
(ulustïnʺ köbi)
— number of residents in a given area
Norwegian Bokmål:
folketall
— number of residents in a given area
Norwegian Bokmål:
innbyggertall
— number of residents in a given area
Norwegian Bokmål:
befolkningstall
— number of residents in a given area
Norwegian Nynorsk:
folketal
— number of residents in a given area
Portuguese:
população
— number of residents in a given area
Russian:
населе́ние
(naselénije)
— number of residents in a given area
Sicilian:
pupulazziuni
— number of residents in a given area
Spanish:
población
— number of residents in a given area
Swedish:
folkmängd
— number of residents in a given area
Swedish:
befolkning
— number of residents in a given area
Tamil:
மக்கள்தொகை
(makkaḷtokai)
— number of residents in a given area
Tibetan:
མི་འབོར
(mi 'bor)
— number of residents in a given area
Turkish:
nüfus
— number of residents in a given area
Vietnamese:
dân số
— number of residents in a given area
Vietnamese:
số dân
— number of residents in a given area
Chinese Mandarin:
總體 /总体
(zǒngtǐ)
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Danish:
population
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Dutch:
populatie
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Estonian:
üldkogum
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Finnish:
perusjoukko
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Finnish:
populaatio
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
French:
population
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
German:
Grundgesamtheit
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Hebrew:
אוכלוסייה \ אֻכְלוּסִיָּה
(ukhlusiyá)
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Hebrew:
אוכלוסין \ אֻכְלוּסִין
(ukhlusín)
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Hungarian:
népesség
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Icelandic:
þýði
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Icelandic:
hópur
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Icelandic:
stofn
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Icelandic:
lýður
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Italian:
popolazione
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Japanese:
母集団
(boshūdan)
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Portuguese:
população
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Sicilian:
pupulazziuni
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Spanish:
población
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Swedish:
population
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn
Tagalog:
sambagayan
— statistics: greater group of units from which a sample can be drawn