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popular

poh-poo-LAHRpo.puˈlaɾ

“popular” means “popular” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

popular, fashionable

Also: well-known
A bright red soccer ball is being enthusiastically chased by five smiling children on a sunny green field, illustrating something well-liked or common.

📝 In Action

Esa banda de música se hizo muy popular en España.

A2

That music band became very popular in Spain.

Es un destino turístico muy popular durante el verano.

A2

It is a very popular tourist destination during the summer.

La comida rápida es popular por ser barata y rápida.

B1

Fast food is popular because it is cheap and quick.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • ser popular – to be popular
  • volverse popular – to become popular

popular

Also: folk
A large, diverse crowd of people standing close together in a sunny public square, representing 'the people' or the public.

📝 In Action

El gobierno debe escuchar la voluntad popular.

B2

The government must listen to the popular will (the will of the people).

El arte popular de México es muy colorido.

B1

The folk art of Mexico is very colorful.

Se organizaron protestas populares contra la nueva ley.

C1

Popular protests (protests by the people) were organized against the new law.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • público (public)
  • común (common)

Common Collocations

  • voto popular – popular vote
  • soberanía popular – popular sovereignty

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "popular" in Spanish:

fashionable→folk→popular→well-known→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: popular

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'popular' to mean 'relating to the common people' (Definition 2)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
popularidad(popularity) — Noun
popularizar(to popularize) — Verb
pueblo(people / town) — Noun
impopular(unpopular) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes directly from the Latin word *popularis*, which means 'belonging to the people.' This word is based on the Latin noun *populus*, meaning 'people' or 'nation.'

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: popularFrench: populairePortuguese: popular

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'popular' change its ending for masculine and feminine nouns?

No, 'popular' is one of those helpful adjectives that stays the same whether the noun is masculine or feminine (e.g., *el deporte popular* / *la opinión popular*). You only need to change it to 'populares' for plural nouns.

Is 'popular' related to the word 'pueblo'?

Yes, absolutely! They share the same root in Latin, *populus* (people). Think of 'popular' as 'of the pueblo' or 'of the people.'