antipopular
Definition
- Adjective:
- Opposed to the interests or will of the general public: "antipopular" describes something that is against or harmful to the common people, often used in political or social contexts to criticize policies, actions, or attitudes that disregard popular welfare.
Usage Examples
- (The law was seen as harmful to ordinary people.)
- (The decision was against the interests of the public.)
- (His comments were opposed to the feelings or needs of the people.)
Advanced Usage
"antipopular sentiment": a feeling or opinion that is hostile to the general public.
- The rising antipopular sentiment among the elite worried social observers. (A growing hostility toward common people among the wealthy.)
"antipopular policy": a rule or plan that damages the public's well-being.
- The antipopular policy of cutting school funding led to widespread outrage. (A policy harmful to the community.)
Variants and Related Words
Antipopulist (n/adj): a person or idea opposed to populism (a political approach appealing to ordinary people).
- The antipopulist candidate argued against giving too much power to the masses. (Someone who resists populist movements.)
Antipopularity (n): the state of being opposed to the people.
- The antipopularity of the regime was evident in the lack of public support. (The quality of being against the people.)
Synonyms
- Unpopular: not liked or supported by many people.
- Anti-people: directly opposed to the interests of the people.
- Elitist: favoring a select group over the general population (often a related concept).
Antonyms
- Popular: liked or supported by many people.
- Pro-people: in favor of the common people's interests.
Related Idioms
- "To go against the grain": to act against the natural or usual way of thinking, often applied to antipopular actions.
- His antipopular decision to raise taxes went against the grain of public opinion. (The decision conflicted with what most people wanted.)