Lewis & Short

pŏpŭlāris (sync. poplāris, Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 36), e, adj. [1. populus], of or belonging to the people, proceeding from or designed for the people.

  1. I. In gen.: populares leges, i. e. laws instituted by the people, Cic. Leg. 2, 4, 9: accessus, id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 25: coetus, id. Ac. 2, 2, 6: munus, a donation to the people, id. Off. 2, 16, 56: popularia verba usitata, id. ib. 2, 10, 35; cf.: ad usum popularem atque civilem disserere, id. Leg. 3, 6, 14: dictio ad vulgarem popularemque sensum accommodata, id. de Or. 1, 23, 108: oratio philosophorum … nec sententiis nec verbis instructa popularibus, id. Or. 19, 64: popularis oratio, id. ib. 44, 151: populari nomine aliquid appellare, Plin. 13, 4, 9, § 48: laudes, in the mouths of the people, Cic. Ac. 2, 2, 6: admiratio, id. Fam. 7, 1, 2: honor, Cic. Dom. 18: ventus, popular favor, id. Clu. 47, 130 init.: aura, Hor. C. 3, 2, 20: civitas, democracy, Plin. 7, 56, 57, § 200 (opp. regia civitas, monarchy): popularia sacra sunt, ut ait Labeo, quae omnes cives faciunt nec certis familiis attributa sunt, Fest. p.253 Müll.
    1. B. Subst.: pŏpŭlārĭa, ĭum, n. (sc. subsellia), the seats of the people in the theatre, the common seats, Suet. Claud. 25; id. Dom. 4 fin.
  2. II. In partic.
    1. A. Of or belonging to the same people or country, native, indigenous (as an adj. rare): Sappho puellis de popularibus querentem vidimus, Hor. C. 2, 13, 25: flumina, of the same district, Ov. M. 1, 577: oliva, native, id. ib. 7, 498.
      1. 2. As subst.: pŏpŭlāris, is, comm. (freq. and class.).
          1. (α) Masc., a countryman, fellow-countryman: redire ad suos populares, Naev. ap. Fest. s. v. stuprum, p. 317 Müll.: o mi popularis, salve, Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 79: o populares, Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 1; id. Ad. 2, 1, 1: popularis ac sodalis suus, Cic. Ac. 2, 37, 118: ego vero Solonis, popularis tui, ut puto, etiam mei, legem neglegam (for Cicero had also lived in Athens), id. Att. 10, 1, 2: popularis alicujus definiti loci (opp. civis totius mundi), id. Leg. 1, 23, 61: non populares modo, Liv. 29, 1: cum turbā popularium, Just. 43, 1, 6: quae res indicabat populares esse.
          2. (β) Fem.: mea popularis opsecro haec est? Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 35; 4, 4, 36; 4, 8, 4 al.; Sall. J. 58, 4: tibi popularis, Ov. M. 12, 191.
        1. b. Transf.
          1. (α) Of animals and plants of the same region: leaena, Ov. lb. 503: (glires) populares ejusdem silvae (opp. alienigenae, amne vel monte discreti), Plin. 8, 57, 82, § 224: populares eorum (prunorum) myxae, id. 15, 13, 12, § 43.
          2. (β) Of persons of the same condition, occupation, tastes, etc., a companion, partner, associate, accomplice, comrade: meus popularis Geta, fellow (i. e. a slave), Ter. Phorm. 1, 1, 1: populares conjurationis, Sall. C. 24, 1; 52, 14: sceleris, id. ib. 22, 1: invitis hoc nostris popularibus dicam, the men of our school, i. e. the Stoics, Sen. Vit. Beat. 13.
    2. B. In a political signification, of or belonging to the people, attached or devoted to the people (as opposed to the nobility), popular, democratic: res publica ex tribus generibus illis, regali et optumati et populari confusa modice, Cic. Rep. 2, 23, 41 (ap. Non. 342, 31): homo maxime popularis, Cic. Clu. 28, 77: consul veritate non ostentatione popularis, id. Agr. 1, 7, 23: animus vere popularis, saluti populi consulens, id. Cat. 4, 5, 9: ingenium, Liv. 2, 24: sacerdos, i. e. Clodius, as attached to the popular party, Cic. Sest. 30, 66: vir, Liv. 6, 20: homo, of the common people (opp. rex), Vulg. Sap. 18, 11.
      Hence, subst.: pŏpŭlāres, ĭum, m., the people’s party, the democrats (opp. optimates, the aristocrats): duo genera semper in hac civitate fuerunt . . . quibus ex generibus alteri se populares, alteri optimates et haberi et esse voluerunt. Quia ea quae faciebant, multitudini jucunda esse volebant, populares habebantur, Cic. Sest. 45, 96: qui populares habebantur, id. ib. 49, 105: ex quo evenit, ut alii populares, alii studiosi optimi cujusque videantur, id. Off. 1, 25, 85.
    3. C. Acceptable to the people, agreeable to the multitude, popular: dixi in senatu me popularem consulem futurum. Quid enim est tam populare quam pax? Cic. Agr. 2, 4, 9: potest nihil esse tam populare quam id quod ego consul popularis adfero, pacem, etc., id. ib. 2, 37, 102: quo nihil popularius est, Liv. 7, 33, 3: populare gratumque audientibus, Plin. Paneg. 77, 4.
    4. D. Of or belonging to the citizens (as opposed to the soldiery): quique rem agunt duelli, quique populare auspicium, Cic. Leg.2, 8; cf.Amm. 14, 10; usually as subst.: popŭlāris, is, m., a citizen (post-class.): multa milia et popularium et militum, Capitol. Ant. Phil. 17; Dig. 1, 12, 1 fin.: popularibus militibusque, Juv. 26, 3, 5; Amm. 22, 2.
    5. E. Belonging to or fit for the common people; hence, common, coarse, mean, bad: sal. Cato, R. R. 88: pulli (apium), Col. 9, 11, 4: popularia agere, to play coarse tricks, Laber. ap. Non. 150, 25.
      Hence, adv.: pŏpŭlārĭter.
    1. A. After the manner of the common people, i. e. commonly, coarsely, vulgarly, Cic. Rep. 6, 22, 24: loqui, id. Fin. 2, 6, 17: scriptus liber (opp. limatius), id. ib. 5, 5, 12.
    2. B. In a popular manner, popularly, democratically: agere, Cic. Off. 2, 21, 73: conciones seditiose ac populariter excitatae, id. Clu. 34, 93: occidere quemlibet populariter, to win popularity, Juv. 3, 37.