Popularise

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈpɒpjʊləɹaɪz/

Definitions

1. To cause something to become widely liked or accepted by many people
2. To promote or spread an idea or thing until it gains general approval
3. To increase the popularity or common use of something among the public

Etymology: "Popularise" is a textbook case of a word built in English from parts that each came from elsewhere. The root is the Latin "popularis," meaning belonging to the people, which in turn comes from "populus" (people). That Latin adjective passed through Old French "populaire" and Middle English "populer" before becoming the English adjective "popular." The verb is simply that adjective with the suffix "-ise" added, and that suffix has its own long road: it arrived from Ancient Greek "-izein," through Late Latin "-izare," and into Middle French and Middle English before settling as the English "-ise" ending. So the verb is a hybrid in the most literal sense: a Latin-derived stem joined to a Greek-derived ending. The same suffix shows up in many other English verbs, such as "organise" and "realise," which is why the pattern feels so ordinary today. The verb means to make something widely liked or accepted, and it follows directly from the adjective's meaning of "pleasing to the people."

Synonyms: promote, publicize

Antonyms: obscure, marginalize