Populace
/ˈpɒpjʊləs/
Definitions
The people living in a particular country or area; the general public.
/ˈpɒpjʊləs/
The general public; the common people.
The safety of the populace is the government's top priority.
💡 Simply: Imagine a big group of people, like everyone in a town or city. The populace is all those people together! For example, the mayor wants to help the populace by building a new park.
👶 For kids: The populace is just a fancy word for all the people in a place.
More Examples
The leader addressed the populace during the rally.
The artist's work was widely admired by the populace.
How It's Used
"The politician sought to gain the support of the populace."
"The populace was largely unaware of the impending crisis."
"The king ruled over his vast populace."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
Vox populi
Latin for 'the voice of the people'; the opinion or belief of the majority.
"The government is very concerned with vox populi and will change its policy."
From Middle French populasse, from Latin populācus ('belonging to the people'), from populus ('people').
The term 'populace' has been used since the 15th century, primarily in literary and formal contexts to refer to the common people.
Memory tip
Think of 'popular' and the people. The populace is the people, the general public.
Word Origin
"people"