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

• colonize
• people
• settle

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

There is an oasis in the middle of said desert populated by a community whose residents seem condemned to speak in strange, elliptical phrases. —Lewis Gordon, The Verge, 7 Oct. 2024

Directed by Chris Sanders (known for How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch), the film, based on the books by Peter Brown, The Wild Robot follows a robot whose transport ship crashes in a tsunami, causing the robot to wash up on an island populated only by animals. —Alex Apatoff, People.com, 4 Oct. 2024

Throughout October, these creepy characters will populate horror stories on screens and stages, pop out at museum parties, dance at balls and haunt tours. —Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Oct. 2024

If left alone, a Sim’s Bucket List will naturally populate over time based on their Traits. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 3 Oct. 2024

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

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