populate
verb
pop·u·late
ˈpä-pyə-ˌlāt 
populated; populating
2
a
: to furnish or provide with inhabitants : people
… there were survivors, and their descendants populate the world today.—
Walter Alvarez
Walter Alvarez
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
So tracking that water’s abundance and distribution across the lunar surface could constrain the nature and number of the water-rich projectiles that are thought to have populated the inner solar system at that time.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
Less than a mile from the historic buildings that line Pomona’s downtown square, three acres of land are populated by trees, chickens roam free among vegetable sprouts and butterflies hover over blooming flowers.
—Nicole MacIas Garibay, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons per day, equivalent to the water use of a town populated by 10,000 to 50,000 people, the report said.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Not long ago, Filmart’s popular seminar series was populated by top studio executives from Hollywood and China, each side keen on the potential for doing business together in the traditional realm of theatrical film.
—Mathew Scott, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for populate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
Less than a mile from the historic buildings that line Pomona’s downtown square, three acres of land are populated by trees, chickens roam free among vegetable sprouts and butterflies hover over blooming flowers.
—Nicole MacIas Garibay, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons per day, equivalent to the water use of a town populated by 10,000 to 50,000 people, the report said.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Not long ago, Filmart’s popular seminar series was populated by top studio executives from Hollywood and China, each side keen on the potential for doing business together in the traditional realm of theatrical film.
—Mathew Scott, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for populate
Cite this Entry
“Populate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populate. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
populate
verb
pop·u·late
ˈpäp-yə-ˌlāt
populated; populating
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
