populate

verb

pop·​u·​late ˈpä-pyə-ˌlāt 

populated; populating

transitive verb

1

: to have a place in : occupy, inhabit

Strange creatures populate the deep ocean.

2

a

: to furnish or provide with inhabitants : people

… there were survivors, and their descendants populate the world today.

—Walter Alvarez

b

: to provide with members

Synonyms of populate

• inhabit
• people

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 cars populating it are some pretty inspired picks—a 986 Porsche Boxster, original Renault Twingo, E39 BMW M5, etcetera. —Adam Ismail, The Drive, 11 June 2026

Participants travel by horseback to South American landscapes few people ever reach, from vast valleys and sweeping pampas to ancient lenga forests and high plateaus populated with condors. —Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 6 June 2026

But one thing the out gay filmmaker has never done, somehow, is helm a project populated entirely by LGBTQ+ actors and characters. —Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026

Various dolls populate the boxes, which occupy a trio of plinths arranged in a straight line. —Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026

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
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

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