populace

/ˈpɒpjələs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpɑːpjələs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpä-pyə-ləs/ (ame, mw)

populace — noun

1. all the ordinary, non-privileged people living in a specific country, city, or a

1.名詞B2
釋義

all the ordinary, non-privileged people living in a specific country, city, or area — typically used when contrasting regular citizens with the government, the wealthy, or the ruling class.

例句

The government's new tax policy angered the general populace across the region.

collocation: the general populace

Adaeze's speech addressed the concerns of the local populace about the new hospital.

collocation: the local populace

同義詞
  • population

    focuses on numerical count of inhabitants, not the social group

  • public

    broader term covering all citizens or consumers, without the 'ordinary vs. elite' contrast

  • masses

    more informal and often carries a political or revolutionary tone

反義詞
  • elite

    the small, powerful group at the top of society

  • aristocracy

    the hereditary upper class, contrasted with common people

文法句型

the + populace

the populace of + place

adjective + populace

用法筆記

Populace is a collective noun and is nearly always used with the definite article 'the' or a possessive determiner (e.g., 'the city's populace'). It carries a formal tone and appears mainly in journalism, academic writing, and political commentary rather than in casual conversation.

常見錯誤

❌The populace was counted at 2 million.
✅The population was counted at 2 million.
💡'Populace' refers to the people themselves, not the statistical headcount.
❌Populace of the town is angry.
✅The populace of the town is angry.
💡'Populace' almost always requires the definite article 'the.'