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

It’s populated by many people from that background, who are retired or on their vacation. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

The deal represents Apple’s latest dip into the well of international acquisitions, with the streamer appearing keener nowadays to populate its service with more than just originals. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

They’ll be populated by whomever Straker deigns cool enough to have the VIP number. — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026

That’s because climate models — the same ones Kirkman’s NMME factor together — are different from the weather models that populate your phone app. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 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