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

Meanwhile, the reductive approach to populating the town speaks to Hollywood’s own complicity in spreading falsehoods and manufacturing consent. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025

Yes, The Legend of Ochi looks amazingly, impressively real, but it’s populated by non-characters pursuing a nothing story. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Jan. 2025

It’s populated with creatures (deer, heron, cats, and boar) and an impressive collection of flora that goes through the traditional plant life cycle based on in-game seasons. —Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2025

Many of those acres were populated by homes, and others popular hiking trails throughout the Santa Monica Mountains. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 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

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