populate

verb

pop·​u·​late ˈpä-pyə-ˌlāt 

populated; populating

transitive verb

1

: to have a place in : occupy, inhabit

2

a

: to furnish or provide with inhabitants : people

b

: to provide with members

Synonyms

• colonize
• people
• settle

Examples of populate in a Sentence

Immigrants began to populate the area in the late 19th century.

Strange creatures populate the ocean depths.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Emmy-winning Max comedy announced Tuesday the addition of 13 new guest stars planned for the fourth season — including those populating the writers room on Deborah Vance’s (Jean Smart) new late-night talk show. —Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Mar. 2025

Unforgiven recasts the genre as a pitiless, almost pathologically unromantic realm populated by twits hoping to make their name and aged gunslingers who have to make peace with their bad pasts. —Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025

The film follows Roz after their transport ship crashes onto an island populated only by animals, including Fink the fox (voiced by Pedro Pascal) and Pinktail the possum (voiced by Catherine O'Hara). —Sharareh Drury, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025

There are spells, curses, vendettas, a twist villain, giant dragons who turn into humanoid warriors and many other creatures populating the world of this gargantuan feat of eye-popping computer animation. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin populātus, past participle of populāre "to provide with inhabitants,", derivative of Latin populus people entry 1

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for populate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

populate

verb

pop·​u·​late ˈpäp-yə-ˌlāt 

populated; populating

1

: to have a place in : occupy, inhabit

2

: to provide with inhabitants : people