Populace vs. Population — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 13, 2024
Populace refers to the people living in a specific area, emphasizing their collective social or cultural characteristics, whereas population denotes the total number of individuals inhabiting a specific area or group.
Difference Between Populace and Population
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Populace often implies a specific group of people, particularly in terms of their societal or cultural attributes, while population is a broader term that counts all individuals in a specified area, regardless of their characteristics.
Populace conveys a more qualitative aspect of a community, focusing on the collective identity and characteristics of the people, whereas population quantifies the total headcount, commonly used in demographics and statistics.
Populace is typically used in contexts that discuss public opinions or social movements, highlighting the active role of the community, on the other hand, population is used in studies and reports that require precise numerical data, such as census figures.
Populace might refer to people within a particular socio-economic or cultural context, while population encompasses all living individuals, including various subgroups without distinction.
Populace is less frequently used in formal or scientific contexts and is more rhetorical or literary, while population is a fundamental concept in fields like ecology, sociology, and public health.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Refers to the people of a specific area, highlighting social or cultural characteristics
Total number of individuals in a specific area or group
Usage Context
More qualitative, often in societal or cultural discussions
Quantitative, crucial in statistics and demography
Typical Discourse
Rhetorical, public opinions, social movements
Scientific, formal studies, census data
Scope of Reference
Generally implies a subset with shared characteristics
Includes all individuals without distinction
Frequency of Use
Less common, literary or conversational
Common in academic, governmental, and formal reports
Compare with Definitions
Populace
The people residing in a specific area or country.
The government's new policy was unpopular among the local populace.
Population
A subset of people within a broader survey group.
The study focused on the teenage population.
Populace
The general public or community at large.
The festivities attracted a diverse populace from neighboring regions.
Population
The inhabitants of a particular area as counted in a census.
The population figures are released every ten years.
Populace
The inhabitants of a particular political or geographic boundary.
The ancient Roman populace often gathered in the forum for discussions.
Population
All the people living in a particular area, country, or world.
The population of Iceland is under 400,000.
Populace
The collective individuals who are seen as the lower or working class.
The medieval populace suffered greatly under feudalism.
Population
The total count of a specific group in statistical research.
The population sample was carefully selected to represent the entire city.
Populace
A group characterized by common cultural or social traits.
The movie resonated well with the urban populace.
Population
In biology, a population is a number of all the organisms of the same group or species who live in a particular geographical area and are capable of interbreeding. The area of a sexual population is the area where inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals from other areas.In sociology, population refers to a collection of humans.
Populace
The people living in a particular country or area
The party misjudged the mood of the populace
Population
All the inhabitants of a particular place
The island has a population of about 78,000
Populace
The general public; the masses.
Population
A community of animals, plants, or humans among whose members interbreeding occurs
Fluctuations in populations of voles and lemmings
Populace
A population.
Population
A finite or infinite collection of items under consideration.
Populace
The common people of a nation.
The populace despised their ignorant leader.
Population
Each of three groups (designated I, II, and III) into which stars can be approximately divided on the basis of their manner of formation
The motions of Population II objects
Populace
The inhabitants of a nation.
Population
All of the people inhabiting a specified area.
Populace
The common people; the vulgar; the multitude, - comprehending all persons not distinguished by rank, office, education, or profession.
To . . . calm the peers and please the populace.
They . . . call us Britain's barbarous populaces.
Population
The total number of such people.
Populace
People in general considered as a whole;
He is a hero in the eyes of the public
Population
The total number of inhabitants constituting a particular race, class, or group in a specified area.
Population
The act or process of furnishing with inhabitants.
Population
(Ecology) All the organisms of a given species interacting in a specified area.
Population
(Statistics) The set of individuals, items, or data from which a statistical sample is taken. Also called universe.
Population
The people living within a political or geographical boundary.
The population of New Jersey will not stand for this!
Population
(by extension) The people with a given characteristic.
India has the third-largest population of English-speakers in the world.
Population
A count of the number of residents within a political or geographical boundary such as a town, a nation or the world.
The town’s population is only 243.
Population explosion;
Population growth
Population
(biology) A collection of organisms of a particular species, sharing a particular characteristic of interest, most often that of living in a given area.
A seasonal migration annually changes the populations in two or more biotopes drastically, many twice in opposite senses.
Population
(statistics) A group of units (persons, objects, or other items) enumerated in a census or from which a sample is drawn.
Population
(computing) The act of filling initially empty items in a collection.
John clicked the Search button and waited for the population of the list to complete.
Population
The act or process of populating; multiplication of inhabitants.
Population
The whole number of people, or inhabitants, in a country, or portion of a country; as, a population of ten millions.
Population
The people who inhabit a territory or state;
The population seemed to be well fed and clothed
Population
A group of organisms of the same species populating a given area;
They hired hunters to keep down the deer population
Population
(statistics) the entire aggregation of items from which samples can be drawn;
It is an estimate of the mean of the population
Population
The number of inhabitants (either the total number or the number of a particular race or class) in a given place (country or city etc.);
People come and go, but the population of this town has remained approximately constant for the past decade
The African-American population of Salt Lake City has been increasing
Population
The act of populating (causing to live in a place);
He deplored the population of colonies with convicted criminals
Population
A group of individuals of a specific species within a given area.
The deer population in the forest has doubled.
Common Curiosities
Why is populace less commonly used than population?
Populace is more literary and less formal, making it less common in scientific and statistical contexts where population is preferred.
In what types of documents is population more commonly used?
Population is frequently used in academic, governmental, and scientific documents, particularly those involving demographic statistics or ecological studies.
What is the difference between populace and population?
Populace refers to the people considered as a distinct group, often with a cultural or social emphasis, whereas population refers to all individuals within a specified area.
Does the term populace have any historical significance?
Yes, "populace" has historical significance, particularly in contexts discussing the general public or common people, often in historical or political narratives.
How does the meaning of populace reflect social characteristics?
Populace often includes an understanding of people's cultural or social backgrounds, reflecting their collective identity or behavior.
Is the concept of populace relevant in modern times?
Yes, the concept of populace remains relevant, especially in discussions about public opinion, cultural identity, and in contexts evaluating the impacts of policies or events on specific social groups.
What types of studies or fields commonly use the term population?
The term "population" is widely used in fields like demographics, ecology, public health, sociology, and any statistical analysis that requires detailed enumeration of individuals.
How is population calculated or determined?
Population is typically calculated using methods such as censuses, surveys, and demographic modeling, which collect data on the number of individuals living in a specific area.
Can populace and population be used interchangeably?
They are not typically interchangeable as populace implies a qualitative view of people, and population is a quantitative count.
What are some examples of populations within a population?
Examples include demographic subgroups like the elderly population, the immigrant population, or the student population within a larger community.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.