population shift
1
4.4
- noun
- /ˌpɒpjʊˈleɪʃən ʃɪft/
- Specialized
:
cambio poblacional
- Contributing factors include population shifts, increased urbanization and crowding, environmental changes, and worldwide commerce and travel.
Examples
-
The movement of Bohemians to lands in the northern, western, or southern parts of Texas is a significant illustration of this population shift.
Academic text (1996) -
Intrastate population shift changed the demographic and linguistic character of previously Anglo-American dominated towns.
Academic text (2000) -
Nothing approaching that kind of population shift is likely to occur today.
Academic text (2007) -
Many small liberal arts colleges are also under more pressure because of population shifts.
Academic text (2016) -
There could be some benefit if these population shifts were accompanied by public awareness regarding standards for parenting practices.
Academic text (2004) -
By the 1920s, the United States began to see a significant population shift as more people moved to populate metropolitan areas.
Blog text (9) -
We then focus on the revival of Mexican Phoenix, highlighting how this unprecedented population shift has transformed the urban landscape.
Academic text (2008) -
This increasingly familiar refrain describes the slow population shift toward older members resulting from lower birth rates and increased longevity.
Academic text (1995) -
Indeed, the fissure between liberalism and multiculturalism is opening just as the continent undergoes its most momentous population shift since Asian tribes pushed westward in the first Christian millennium.
Academic text (2005) -
The 1950s Texas drought sparked a population shift from rural to urban areas.
Synonyms
363
3.5
A change in place, position, or focus
141
3.4
A general change in what people think or do
82
3.7
Movement of people from one place to another to live there
Movement of people from one place or community to another
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'population' (people in an area) with 'shift' (a movement or change): together they clearly denote a change in population distribution or composition. This is a regular noun–noun composition found across languages and follows a predictable semantic mapping, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The noun phrase population shift paints a simple picture: imagine a crowd, the population, moving from one area to another, a shift. This movement changes which places have more or fewer people, so it means 'a change in where people live or the mix of groups in a place'.