Populace-Populous | Commonly Confused Words
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Master confusing words with ease

Populace vs. Populous

Populace

/ˈpɒpjələs/
The people living in a particular area or country

Examples:

The local populace greeted the new mayor warmly.Environmental policies must consider the needs of the populace.The film was acclaimed by the general populace.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Populous

/ˈpɒpjələs/
Describing a place that has many people living in it.

Examples:

Tokyo ranks as the world’s most populous city.The populous region experienced rapid urbanization.Despite its size, the town is not very populous.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Populace refers to the people living in a particular area, whereas populous describes the characteristic of an area having a large population.
  • Remember populace contains ace which can remind you of people, since ace could be an acronym for all community engaged.
  • Populace is a noun, referring directly to the population or the inhabitants, while populous is an adjective describing a place.
  • The word populous has ous, a common adjective ending, signaling it describes a quality.
  • If you think of a populous place, it means the location is filled with people, whereas populace is the people themselves.
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