Popular means to be liked, admired, or enjoyed by many people. A popular student at school might have lots of friends and get invited to many activities. A popular book flies off library shelves because so many kids want to read it. A popular ice cream flavor like chocolate or vanilla sells more than unusual flavors because more people choose it.

When something is popular, it appeals to lots of people across all backgrounds. A popular science book explains complex ideas in ways everyone can understand and enjoy, while an academic journal article might only interest specialists.

The word can describe people, things, or ideas. Pizza is a popular food. Soccer is popular worldwide. Democracy is a popular form of government because citizens get to participate in choosing their leaders.

Being popular isn't always about being the best. Sometimes the most popular movie isn't the one that wins awards, and the most popular kid isn't necessarily the kindest. Popularity measures how many people like something, not how good it actually is. A challenging book might be less popular than a simple one, even if it's better written.

The phrase popular opinion or popular belief means what most people think, which isn't always correct. There was a time when popular opinion held that the Earth was flat, but of course that turned out to be wrong.