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

At a time when the internet was still sparsely populated, 4chan guaranteed constant energy, no matter the time of day or night. —Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2025

These physical spaces, populated by actual people, are what the resistance is trying to save. —Noel Murray, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

The church is a Baroque jewel in an area populated by migrants, the homeless, and the poor—the people Francis had long sought to uplift. —Aryn Baker, Time, 26 Apr. 2025

Rebel Yells • Mina-Rau is a low-profile little planet with a bunch of wheat fields, populated by at least a few scrappy members of the rebellion, almost like some kind of … Rebel Moon? —Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 23 Apr. 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