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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
Historian William Dalrymple traces the current sectarian divisions to the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb, who shattered the empire’s religious pluralism by trying to impose orthodox Islam on the populace.
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Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2025
But those environmentalists would have recognized, at least a little, the political climate: a corrupt Republican Administration and an energized populace willing to take to the streets.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2025
An administration that aims to please the populace might cut rates despite high inflation, leading to further economic difficulties.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2025
For a group that makes up just 0.4 percent of the world’s population, identical twins have enthralled the general populace.
—Barry Levitt, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
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Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2025
But those environmentalists would have recognized, at least a little, the political climate: a corrupt Republican Administration and an energized populace willing to take to the streets.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2025
An administration that aims to please the populace might cut rates despite high inflation, leading to further economic difficulties.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2025
For a group that makes up just 0.4 percent of the world’s population, identical twins have enthralled the general populace.
—Barry Levitt, Vulture, 18 Apr. 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 1 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
populace
noun
pop·u·lace
ˈpäp-yə-ləs 
1
: the common people : masses
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