populate

verb

pop·​u·​late ˈpä-pyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce populate (audio)
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

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 Dodgers clubhouse was thinly populated during the brief window of media access before the game, with players unwilling to discuss the matter. Bill Plunkett, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2024 Artichokes populate the countryside of Rome and should make an appearance on your table at Aventino. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 By the third or fourth time that invoice comes in, it’ll be automatically scanned, and then the right fields will be populated. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 Barriers encircle the media complex at key access points, security badges are required to enter and exit various corridors, and police populate the hallways. Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Mar. 2024 Good probiotics ensure live bacteria survive digestion and can populate the gut. Tracy Achonwa, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2024 Differentiating the market from the Indian government’s Film Bazaar in Goa, Bedi says that that market is part of a film festival mostly populated by filmmakers, whereas the focus in Mumbai, the capital of the Bollywood film industry, is about commerce. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 There is a trauma from hearing gunshots and seeing gun injuries, and daily life can be a thrum of risk in vulnerable communities, notably those largely populated by Black and Hispanic people, Buggs said. Christine Spolar, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Put another way, the show feels a little unstuck in time, populated by more fantasies and conventions and clichés than characters. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'populate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin populatus, past participle of populare to people, from Latin populus people

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of populate was in 1578

Dictionary Entries Near populate

Cite this Entry

“Populate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

populate

verb
pop·​u·​late ˈpäp-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce populate (audio)
populated; populating
1
: to have a place in : occupy, inhabit
2
: to provide with inhabitants : people

More from Merriam-Webster on populate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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