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DictionarypopulationInhabitants
noun

population

pah-pyuh-LAY-shuhn/ˌpɑːpjuˈleɪʃn/

The people or organisms inhabiting a particular area.

The town's population includes residents of many different ages.

An overhead view of people of varied ages living throughout a compact town, the whole resident community.
Etymology
populationLatina people, a multitude

Latin populatio meant “a people” or “a multitude,” treating inhabitants as a collective body. That collective meaning underlies the English term for all the people—or other organisms—in a particular area.

In context

Intrigued Mind3:41
Vatican City comprises only 121 acres and has a total population of 453 people it is the smallest state in the world in terms of area and population
The Confusing Hierarchy of the Catholic Church

More examples

  • The city has a population of nearly two million.
  • Scientists track changes in the lake's fish population.
  • The study compares rural and urban populations.

Forms

population · populations

populate verb — To establish inhabitants in a place.

populous adjective — Having a large number of inhabitants.

Similar words

inhabitants
Emphasizes who lives somewhere rather than how many live there.
residents
Usually refers to people who live somewhere, not other organisms.