Populars

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

  1. Those who are well-liked or favored by the majority within a group; commonly accepted or admired individuals in social settings; persons enjoying widespread approval among peers
  2. Individuals who are widely regarded with affection or esteem by others; members of a community or society who command broad social appeal; persons recognized for their general social acceptance and popularity
  3. People who are commonly viewed as having favorable social status; those embraced or endorsed by the larger group; individuals who attract general social approval and acceptance

Etymology: The noun formed by adding an -s to "popular" to create "populars" is a relatively straightforward construction, though it is not commonly used in standard English. Typically, "popular" functions as an adjective meaning widely liked or accepted, and it is less often employed as a noun. When it does become a noun, it generally refers collectively to popular people, those who enjoy widespread social approval or fame. The use of the suffix -s to form a plural noun from an adjective is a familiar pattern in English, often emerging from colloquial or informal speech. For example, "the poor" or "the rich" can be plural noun phrases referring to groups characterized by those qualities. In this light, "populars" serves as a casual or informal way to denote a group of popular individuals, often in contexts such as schools or social settings. Etymologically, "popular" itself derives from the Latin "popularis," meaning "of the people," which in turn stems from "populus," meaning "people." The original sense was closely tied to the idea of being common or belonging to the populace, rather than the modern connotation of widespread approval or fashionability. Over time, this shifted toward social popularity, especially in English from around the 15th century onward. The plural form "populars" likely emerged in the 20th century within slang or youth culture contexts, where groups are often labeled by a defining characteristic. Although not standard, it captures the notion of a social category, similar to other group labels like "nerds" or "jocks." This pluralization reflects the flexibility of English to turn adjectives into nouns and then pluralize them to name social groups, even when such forms are not formally recognized in dictionaries.

Synonyms: popular people, favorites

Antonyms: unpopulars, outcasts