popularity

popularity — noun

1. the degree to which many people like, choose, or support a person, thing, or ide

1.nounB2
Definition

the degree to which many people like, choose, or support a person, thing, or idea

Example

The singer's popularity grew after her hospital concert for children.

grow in popularity over time

Low prices helped the app gain popularity among college students.

gain popularity among + group

Common collocations
  • gain popularity
  • lose popularity
  • grow in popularity
  • popularity among students
Synonyms
  • fame

    means being widely known, not always widely liked

  • appeal

    focuses on the quality that attracts people, not the public response itself

  • support

    narrower and often used for political or social backing

  • demand

    used mainly for products or services that many people want

Antonyms
  • unpopularity

    the state of not being liked or supported by many people

  • disapproval

    stronger and more negative; focuses on judging something badly

Grammar Patterns

someone's popularity

the popularity of something

gain popularity among a group

grow in popularity

Usage Note

Often used with verbs such as gain, lose, enjoy, and grow in. Common patterns are someone's popularity, the popularity of something, and popularity among or with a particular group.

Common Mistakes

The game has popularity between teenagers.
The game has popularity among teenagers.
Use among for the group of people who like it.
Her popularity is very popular at school.
She is very popular at school.
Popularity is a noun; popular is the adjective.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Popularity is the broad word for how strongly the public likes, chooses, or backs someone or something. Fame is different because it only tells you that many people know about the person or thing; a famous actor may still be unpopular. Appeal points more to the attractive quality itself, not the size of the public response. Support is narrower and often used in politics, social causes, or team settings. Demand is mainly for products and services that people want to buy or use. A singer can gain popularity after a concert, a phone can have strong demand before release, and a mayor can lose support after a bad policy.

popularity ↗fame ↗appeal ↗support ↗demand ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • rising popularity
  • public popularity
  • growing popularity

Phrases

  • gain popularity
  • grow in popularity
  • lose popularity
  • enjoy great popularity

Prepositions

  • popularity among
  • popularity with
  • popularity of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Popularity was formed in English from popular plus the noun ending -ity. Popular came through French from Latin popularis, a word connected with populus, meaning people. Because of that history, popularity still carries the idea of public approval or wide public use.