Populaires

Populaires is the plural form of the French adjective populaire, used to describe things that are widely liked, common, or connected with ordinary people. As an adjective it agrees with the noun it modifies, for example coutumes populaires or films populaires. It can also function as a plural noun in certain contexts, referring collectively to a group, such as les traditions populaires or les classes populaires, though in the latter case it usually accompanies another noun.

Etymology and sense. The word populaire derives from Old French populaire and from Latin popularis, meaning “of the people” or “public,” itself from populus “people.” In modern French, populaire conveys several related ideas: popularity or broad appeal, accessibility or commonness, and pertaining to the people or the general public. In political or social discourse, populaires may appear in contexts contrasting the general public with elites or specialized groups.

Usage notes. As a noun, populaires is relatively rare and typically found in historical or sociological writing to denote members of the common people. More common constructions use phrases such as les populations populaires, la population populaire, or the compound forms like culture populaire, presse populaire, and tradition populaire to indicate popular culture, mass media, or folk traditions.

Examples. des chansons populaires (folk or popular songs, depending on context); des coutumes populaires (folk customs or popular customs); un festival populaire (a community or popular festival); une littérature populaire (popular literature). The exact sense depends on the surrounding nouns and the intended emphasis on popularity, accessibility, or belonging to the general public.