unpopular

Unpopular is an adjective used to describe ideas, individuals, policies, or opinions that lack wide appeal or support within a given audience. The degree of unpopularity is relative; a stance may be unpopular in one group but accepted in another, and it can change over time as circumstances and norms shift.

Etymology and usage notes: The word derives from popular, which traces to Latin popularis via Old French, with the prefix un- indicating negation. In English, unpopular typically signals general disfavor rather than moral or legal judgment, and it can apply to people, statements, products, or actions.

Contexts and examples: In politics, a policy may be unpopular with voters or constituents; in business, a pricing strategy or product can be unpopular with customers. In social life, a person might be unpopular due to behavior, values, or misperceptions. The term is often relative to a reference group and can reflect temporary trends or enduring divides.

Online discourse: The phrase “unpopular opinion” is commonly used to preface a dissenting view in social media or forums. Such uses can invite supportive or hostile reactions and may amplify controversy, though the underlying idea remains a matter of relative perception rather than universal fact.

See also: popular, disliking, controversy, ostracism, stigma.