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Populace is usually used to refer to all the people of a country. Thus, we're often told that an educated and informed populace is essential for a healthy American democracy. Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous radio "Fireside Chats" informed and reassured the American populace in the 1930s as we struggled through the Great Depression. We often hear about what "the general populace" is thinking or doing, but generalizing about something so huge can be tricky.
Examples of populace in a Sentence
The populace has suffered greatly.
high officials awkwardly mingling with the general populace
Recent Examples on the Web
Barak was cognizant of how the Arab populace would perceive Israeli involvement.
—
Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
The Iranian regime is deeply unpopular with its populace.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2026
The crocodile’s rare appearance represented a disheartening degradation but a hopeful sign of what the Niger Delta, if salvaged, can still become — an eco-diverse paradise akin to the Amazon or Costa Rica, that feeds its populace and attracts foreign visitors wanting to witness nature’s glory.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
The seeming absoluteness of scientific thinking may predispose many medical practitioners or public health workers to assume the populace trust them, that evidential claims naturally validate interventions — no further Q&A needed.
—Cory Anderson, STAT, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for populace
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Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
The Iranian regime is deeply unpopular with its populace.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2026
The crocodile’s rare appearance represented a disheartening degradation but a hopeful sign of what the Niger Delta, if salvaged, can still become — an eco-diverse paradise akin to the Amazon or Costa Rica, that feeds its populace and attracts foreign visitors wanting to witness nature’s glory.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
The seeming absoluteness of scientific thinking may predispose many medical practitioners or public health workers to assume the populace trust them, that evidential claims naturally validate interventions — no further Q&A needed.
—Cory Anderson, STAT, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for populace
Cite this Entry
“Populace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populace. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
populace
noun
pop·u·lace
ˈpäp-yə-ləs 
1
: the common people : masses
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