as in inhabited
to supply with inhabitants
a small island populated only by woodland creatures
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Recent Examples of populated
Most of its riders live outside New York City in two counties populated by nearly three million people.
—
Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
For a cop in a usually sleepy town populated mostly by the elderly, Sung-ae is a remarkably quick study.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Most of its riders live outside New York City in two counties populated by nearly three million people.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
The rooms Called casitas, the standard rooms here are closer in size to suites in other hotels—they're 925 square feet—and each one comes with airy outdoor terraces or patios populated with comfy daybeds and lounge chairs.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
The region out past Neptune is populated by billions of icy, rocky bodies called trans-Neptunian objects (or TNOs) left over from the solar system’s formation.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 15 May 2026
The peripheral areas, while much more sparsely populated than the main population centers, are dominated by ethnic groups that feel neglected by the central government, most notably the Tuaregs in northern Mali.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
The site was speckled with parents and children, but was overwhelmingly populated by dogs.
—Katie Gavin, Time, 8 May 2026
Her seventh album, Middle of Nowhere, is a subtle redirection, a sequel to the stories about growing up in Texas that populated her 2010s work.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
For a cop in a usually sleepy town populated mostly by the elderly, Sung-ae is a remarkably quick study.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Most of its riders live outside New York City in two counties populated by nearly three million people.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
The rooms Called casitas, the standard rooms here are closer in size to suites in other hotels—they're 925 square feet—and each one comes with airy outdoor terraces or patios populated with comfy daybeds and lounge chairs.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
The region out past Neptune is populated by billions of icy, rocky bodies called trans-Neptunian objects (or TNOs) left over from the solar system’s formation.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 15 May 2026
The peripheral areas, while much more sparsely populated than the main population centers, are dominated by ethnic groups that feel neglected by the central government, most notably the Tuaregs in northern Mali.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
The site was speckled with parents and children, but was overwhelmingly populated by dogs.
—Katie Gavin, Time, 8 May 2026
Her seventh album, Middle of Nowhere, is a subtle redirection, a sequel to the stories about growing up in Texas that populated her 2010s work.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for populated
inhabited
Verb
-
During the Early Cretaceous, Nagatitan inhabited an arid-to-semiarid landscape defined by a meandering river system teeming with fish, crocodiles, and freshwater sharks.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
-
This signals to birds that the wreath is already inhabited.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Populated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/populated. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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