1.
popular; accessible; easy to understand
Written or presented in a way that ordinary people can easily understand, as opposed to specialized or academic content.
通俗的な言葉で説明する。
Explain in plain, accessible language.
この本は科学を通俗的に解説している。
This book explains science in an accessible way.
専門家からは通俗的すぎると批判された。
It was criticized by experts as being too dumbed down.
2.
common; vulgar; lowbrow
Lacking refinement or depth; appealing to mass taste rather than intellectual or artistic merit.
通俗的な小説。
A popular novel.
通俗的な趣味だと笑われた。
I was laughed at for having lowbrow tastes.
芸術性よりも通俗的な受けを狙った作品だ。
It's a work that aims for popular appeal rather than artistic merit.
Can be either neutral or negative depending on context. In sense 1, it describes making specialized content accessible to a general audience, which can be positive. In sense 2, it implies a lack of depth or sophistication and carries a dismissive tone. The word 通俗 literally means "passing through the common people," suggesting content aimed at the masses.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 通俗的な表現: plain/accessible expression
- 通俗的な解釈: popular interpretation
- 通俗的な読み物: popular reading material
- 通俗小説: popular fiction
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 大衆的: popular; mass-market — focuses on broad appeal without the negative connotation of lacking depth
- 庶民的: common; down-to-earth — implies warmth and relatability rather than intellectual judgment
- 俗っぽい: vulgar; common — more colloquial and more negative than 通俗的