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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
The populace at large would do so for everyday tasks and as a handy online intellectual partner that is usable anywhere and at any time.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
The monarch of the realm commissions the housing of her collection of artifacts for the inspiration and edification of the populace.
—Gina Grillo, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2025
Ironically, our nation’s populace has already done just that.
—Bija Bennett, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2025
But the deeper concern goes beyond ice crystals, to the notion that government agencies are trying to poison the populace or affect weather patterns through geoengineering.
—Skyler Swisher, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 July 2025
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Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
The monarch of the realm commissions the housing of her collection of artifacts for the inspiration and edification of the populace.
—Gina Grillo, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2025
Ironically, our nation’s populace has already done just that.
—Bija Bennett, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2025
But the deeper concern goes beyond ice crystals, to the notion that government agencies are trying to poison the populace or affect weather patterns through geoengineering.
—Skyler Swisher, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for populace
Cite this Entry
“Populace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populace. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
populace
noun
pop·u·lace
ˈpäp-yə-ləs 
1
: the common people : masses
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