Depopularized

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. Made less widely liked, admired, or supported by the public than before, having lost its former appeal among people
2. Having lost general favor or widespread approval, so that many people no longer embrace it as they once did
3. Reduced in public appeal or fashionability, as when a person, idea, or product gradually falls out of favor

Etymology: "Depopularized" is the past form of "depopularize," which is built from the prefix "de-" added to "popularize." The prefix comes from Latin, where "de-" could mean "down" or "away from," and in words like this it reverses or removes the action of the base word. So to depopularize something is to take away its popularity, and "depopularized" describes something that has been made less popular or stripped of its general appeal. The base, "popularize," rests on "popular," which came into English from Latin "popularis," meaning "of the people" or "belonging to the common folk," itself from "populus," "people." That sense of the people's favor runs through the whole family: a thing that is popular is one the common public takes to, and popularizing it means spreading it among the many. Because the word is a straightforward combination of a prefix and an existing verb, its history is plain. Its meaning follows directly from the parts: "de-" undoes what "popularize" does.