What does "population" mean?

1. (people in a place) all the people who live in a particular town, area, or country. 2. (a specific group) a particular group of people or animals that share a certain characteristic. 3. (statistics) the whole group of people or things that a researcher wants to study. 4. (filling data) the act of filling a list, table, or database with information.

How do you use "population"?

Often used with the definite article 'the' when referring to a specific location. Commonly followed by 'of' to specify the group, such as 'a population of birds'. In this context, 'population' refers to the total set of data, not just people. Often used as a verbal noun describing a technical process.

population

US //ˌpɑpjəˈɫeɪʃən// UK //pˌɒpjʊlˈeɪʃən// pop·u·la·tion

1 people in a place (n.)
A2 Elementary

all the people who live in a particular town, area, or country.

the total number of inhabitants living within a defined political or geographical boundary.

Example

The population of the city has grown quickly over the last ten years.

Example

Government officials are concerned that the aging population will place an unprecedented strain on the national healthcare system over the coming decades.

Usage

Often used with the definite article 'the' when referring to a specific location.
2 a specific group (n.)
B1 Intermediate Biology

a particular group of people or animals that share a certain characteristic.

a subset of people or organisms distinguished by a specific shared trait or condition.

Example

Scientists are studying the local population of sea turtles to help protect them.

Example

The research focused exclusively on the student population, ignoring the broader demographic shifts occurring in the surrounding urban area.

Usage

Commonly followed by 'of' to specify the group, such as 'a population of birds'.

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3 statistics (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Academic Math

the whole group of people or things that a researcher wants to study.

the entire pool from which a statistical sample is drawn and to which the results are meant to apply.

Example

The researchers picked a small group to represent the whole population.

Example

To ensure the validity of the study, the sample must be truly representative of the entire population being analyzed.

Usage

In this context, 'population' refers to the total set of data, not just people.
- sample
4 filling data (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

the act of filling a list, table, or database with information.

the process of supplying or filling a collection, database, or interface with data.

Example

The population of the database took several hours because there was so much information.

Example

Automated scripts handled the population of the new system fields, significantly reducing the risk of manual entry errors.

Usage

Often used as a verbal noun describing a technical process.
- filling
- loading
- inputting
- depletion
- deletion

Origin

Borrowed from Late Latin populatio (“a people, multitude”), as if a noun of action from Classical Latin populus, equivalent to populate + -ion. Doublet of poblacion.