unpopularity

C2+ Topic:Law & Government

US /ˌʌnˌpɑpjəˈlɛrəti/ UK /ˌʌnˌpɒpjʊˈlærɪti/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the state of being disliked by many

The tax's unpopularity forced a swift repeal.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the state of being disliked... disfavor disrepute odium disesteemunacceptance

Opposites

popularity favor esteem acclaim

Word family

Related forms popular unpopular popularity

Etymology

From un- ('not') + popularity, from popular, from Latin popularis ('belonging to the people'), from populus ('people').

un- Old English populus itc-ola

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Law & Government Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# unpopularity

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌʌnˌpɑpjəˈlɛrəti/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌʌnˌpɒpjʊˈlærɪti/

## Meanings
1. the state of being disliked by many

## Examples
- The tax's unpopularity forced a swift repeal.

## Synonyms
- disfavor
- disrepute
- odium
- disesteem
- unacceptance

## Antonyms
- popularity
- favor
- esteem
- acclaim

## Related Forms
- popular
- unpopular
- popularity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: un-
- Root: populus

## Etymology
From un- ('not') + popularity, from popular, from Latin popularis ('belonging to the people'), from populus ('people').

## AI Etymology
Unpopularity comes from un- ('not') + popularity, from popular, from Latin popularis ('belonging to the people'), from populus ('people'). In current use it is a noun meaning "the state of being disliked by many". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The prefix un- is negative or privative, marking the absence, denial, or opposite of the base idea. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The historical chain includes Old English un- and Latin populus. Related English forms include popular, unpopular, and popularity. As a result, the modern word is best read as a negative, privative, or reversative formation built on a historically older base.

## Topics
- Law & Government
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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