underpopulation
|un-der-pop-u-la-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌʌndərˌpɑːpjʊˈleɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌʌndəˌpɒpjʊˈleɪʃən/
insufficient population
Etymology
'underpopulation' originates from the prefix 'under-' meaning 'below' and the word 'population' from Latin 'populatio', meaning 'people'.
'underpopulation' was formed by combining 'under-' with 'population' in modern English.
Initially, it meant 'having fewer people than needed', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a situation in which there are too few people to fully utilize the resources of a region or to maintain the economic and social systems.
The rural area is suffering from underpopulation, leading to a decline in local businesses.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:42