Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - popular

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. Something that is popular is enjoyed or liked by a lot of people. This is the most popular ball game ever devised... Chocolate sauce is always popular with youngsters. ? unpopular ADJ • popularity ...the growing popularity of Australian wines among consumers... Walking and golf increased in popularity during the 1980s. N-UNCOUNT: oft with poss 2. Someone who is popular is liked by most people, or by most people in a particular group. He remained the most popular politician in France... ? unpopular ADJ • popularity It is his popularity with ordinary people that sets him apart. N-UNCOUNT: oft with poss 3. Popular newspapers, television programmes, or forms of art are aimed at ordinary people and not at experts or intellectuals. Once again the popular press in Britain has been rife with stories about their marriage. ...one of the classics of modern popular music. ADJ: ADJ n 4. Popular ideas, feelings, or attitudes are approved of or held by most people. The military government has been unable to win popular support... ADJ: usu ADJ n • popularity Over time, though, Watson’s views gained in popularity. N-UNCOUNT 5. Popular is used to describe political activities which involve the ordinary people of a country, and not just members of political parties. The late President Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown by a popular uprising in 1986. ADJ: ADJ n