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

Dynamic form generation can then populate the latest versions of visa petitions, reducing human error. —Haokun Qin, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025

In the past, the private equity world has been largely populated by ultra-rich investors, endowments and pension funds. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025

Before this period, most of the world’s ecosystems were populated by microorganisms, but during this evolutionary explosion, the fossil record begins to show plants and animals that are more recognizable. —John Leos, AZCentral.com, 1 Aug. 2025

Meta’s entry in the field would reportedly be populated with Reels. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 31 July 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