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

• 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

Cyanides and ethyl formate populate the galactic center. —Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 15 Sep. 2025

Against the Dodgers, though, that mentality is not easy to maintain, even for a pitcher who will populate so many Cy Young Award ballots. —Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025

The radical left of the 1960s and ’70s was overwhelmingly populated by college students, many of them affluent, being taught by America’s elite educators. —Michael Graham, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025

The department’s computer dispatch system incorrectly auto-populated the address of the caller’s home, prompting officers to respond to the neighbor’s house, according to the statement. —Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 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

Rhymes for populate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

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