pop·u·lar·ize
ˈpä-pyə-lə-ˌrīz 
popularized; popularizing
: to cater to popular taste
: to make popular: such as
a
: to cause to be liked or esteemed
a sitcom that popularized the phrase
b
: to present in generally understandable or interesting form
a popularized version of American history
pop·u·lar·iza·tion
variants
also British popularisation
ˌ⸗⸗lərə̇ˈzāshən,
-ˌrīˈ-
plural -s
1
: an act of popularizing or the state of being popularized
with the popularization of the buggy … a demand rose for light harness—
V. S. Clark
V. S. Clark2
: something that is popularized
especially
: a publication in terms comprehensible to the average man
divides the true folk tale from the popularization and that in turn from the work of art —Yale Review
Yale Review Examples of popularize in a Sentence
Verb
a phrase that was popularized by its use in a hit TV show
Dream analysis was popularized by Sigmund Freud.
The book presents a popularized version of American history.
Recent Examples on the Web
Chelsey Sanchez,
CNN Money,
25 June 2026
Macchio’s other song picks all have references to religion or deities, whereas the Cohen song is entirely secular in nature, despite the connotations that have been placed on it by some performers as it has become popularized in recent years.
—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 June 2026
The chrome aura trend, popularized by nail artist Destiny Medina, signals a return to aura nails’ original whimsy, albeit with a modern twist.
—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
23 June 2026
The tri-band Eero Pro 6E ($299 to $699) is another leap forward in home Wi-Fi for the company that popularized mesh Wi-Fi systems.
—
Brad Bourque,
The Verge,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for popularize
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Verb
While Taylor Swift often gets credit for popularizing the notion of era reinventions, artists have played with their visuals to communicate and market new album cycles for decades — just look at Beyoncé, Madonna, David Bowie and The Beatles.
—
Chelsey Sanchez,
CNN Money,
25 June 2026
Macchio’s other song picks all have references to religion or deities, whereas the Cohen song is entirely secular in nature, despite the connotations that have been placed on it by some performers as it has become popularized in recent years.
—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 June 2026
The chrome aura trend, popularized by nail artist Destiny Medina, signals a return to aura nails’ original whimsy, albeit with a modern twist.
—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
23 June 2026
The tri-band Eero Pro 6E ($299 to $699) is another leap forward in home Wi-Fi for the company that popularized mesh Wi-Fi systems.
—
Brad Bourque,
The Verge,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for popularize
Cite this Entry
“Popularize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/popularize. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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