depopulation

noun

de·​population (¦)dē+ How to pronounce depopulation (audio)
: the act of depopulating or the state of being depopulated:
a
archaic : devastation
the Danes … infested those parts with wide depopulationJohn Milton
b
: reduction of population
the causes of depopulation are physical, political, and economicG. B. Longstaff

Word History

Etymology

Middle English depopulacioun devastation, from Latin depopulation-, depopulatio, from depopulatus + -ion-, -io -ion

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Cite this Entry

“Depopulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depopulation. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.

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