overpopulation
overpopulation — noun
1. a situation in which the number of people or animals living in a place is so hig
a situation in which the number of people or animals living in a place is so high that the area cannot supply enough food, water, housing, or other basic needs for everyone who lives there
The charity report warned that overpopulation in coastal cities has led to severe housing shortages.
noun as subject: 'warned that overpopulation + has led to'
Owen believes that overpopulation is one of the main causes of food and water shortages around the world.
believe + that-clause linking overpopulation to a cause-effect pattern
Many scientists argue that overpopulation puts serious pressure on the planet's natural resources.
The local government is trying to address overpopulation by building new schools and hospitals in crowded districts.
Adisa's research paper examines how overpopulation affects the quality of life in large cities.
- overcrowding
focuses more on limited physical space (e.g. in a room or city) rather than a lack of resources
- population explosion
more dramatic and informal; emphasises a sudden rapid increase in numbers rather than the resulting shortage of resources
- population pressure
focuses on the strain placed on resources and infrastructure by a large population
- depopulation
a sharp reduction in the number of people living in an area
- underpopulation
a situation in which an area has too few people to make full use of its resources
文法句型
noun + of + noun (e.g. overpopulation of cities)
noun as subject/object of clause
用法筆記
Overpopulation is an uncountable noun, so it is never used with 'a' or 'an' and has no plural form. It is most common in discussions about urban planning, environmental science, and global development.