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 At the time, there was a recurring game in the parking lot of a condominium complex populated primarily by people of Southeast Asian descent. David Gardner, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023 Before that, viewers get to take in an attractive, glamorous where, populated by an extensive, fairly starry who, the suspects. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023 Series creator and co-screenwriter Kelly Marcel has taken on a nervy project, creating a densely interwoven world of dark forces populated by humans, fairies, witches, curses and everyday nightmares. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 9 Sep. 2023 These incongruities remind you that the company’s games are just one big Truman Show, a mechanical charade populated by automatons. Will Bedingfield, WIRED, 8 Sep. 2023 Sightings were also recorded in Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming and social media quickly populated with videos and photos. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2023 Public housing is populated by the elderly, the poor, and the sick — the populations most marginalized and most at-risk for poor health outcomes due to climate change. Arya Rao and Shira Hornstein, STAT, 29 Aug. 2023 Set in a small Nepalese village nestled in the heart of a forest populated by wild elephants, the film follows Pirati, the matriarch of a community of transgender women. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Aug. 2023 The Garment's latest show, held in a cavernous gallery populated by larger-than-life marble statues at Copenhagen's Thorvaldsens Museum, was the most assured manifestation of Roe's taste yet. Halie Lesavage, Harper's BAZAAR, 31 Aug. 2023 See More

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 27 Sep. 2023.

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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