To popularize something means to make it widely known, liked, or used by many people. When you popularize an idea, activity, or invention, you help it spread from a small group who knows about it to a much larger audience.

The Beatles popularized rock and roll music in the 1960s, turning it from a niche American sound into a worldwide phenomenon. Steve Jobs popularized the smartphone by making the iPhone easy and enjoyable to use, bringing powerful computers into millions of pockets. Julia Child popularized French cooking in America through her TV show, transforming complicated recipes into something home cooks felt they could try.

Popularizing isn't the same as inventing. The person who popularizes something often isn't the first to discover or create it. Instead, they're the one who figures out how to present it in a way that captures people's imagination and makes them want to participate. A scientist might discover a fascinating fact about space, but a talented science writer popularizes that discovery by explaining it in a way that excites readers who aren't experts.

You might popularize a game at your school by teaching it to friends and showing them why it's fun. Once something is popularized, it moves from obscure to mainstream, from “what's that?” to “everyone knows about this.”