Depopularised

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. Made less widely liked or admired by the public, so that people no longer favor something as they once did
2. Having lost general approval or fashionable appeal among ordinary people over a period of time
3. Reduced in popularity, falling out of favor with the wider community or audience that once embraced it

Etymology: "Depopularised" is built from "de-" and "popularised," so its history is that of the English verb "popularise" plus a reversing prefix. "Popular" came into English in the late 1400s from Latin "popularis," meaning belonging to the people, from "populus," the people. "Popularise" followed in the 1800s, and the prefix "de-," borrowed from Latin "de-" meaning "down, away, or reversing," was added to form "depopularise" to mean to make something lose its popularity. The prefix "de-" is the same one found in "deactivate" and "decentralise," where it reverses or removes an action. The adjective and verb forms follow the regular pattern of English verbs ending in "-ise," so the past participle "depopularised" can also serve as an adjective, as in "a depopularised fashion."

Synonyms: depopularized, unpopularize, alienate

Antonyms: popularise, popularize