as in inhabited
to supply with inhabitants
a small island populated only by woodland creatures
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Recent Examples of populated
Participants travel by horseback to South American landscapes few people ever reach, from vast valleys and sweeping pampas to ancient lenga forests and high plateaus populated with condors.
—
Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 6 June 2026
But one thing the out gay filmmaker has never done, somehow, is helm a project populated entirely by LGBTQ+ actors and characters.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
My previous novel was populated by Christian believers who, by and large, didn’t lose their religion.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
But in other parts of the world, fires are springing up with less warning and more ferocity—in many cases, directly threatening areas densely populated by humans.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 1 June 2026
The town itself is still populated, but the accuracy and penetration of the Russian drones mean Ukrainian troops cannot blend into civilian life.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Our district is one of the most diverse and densely populated in the city, with a higher proportion of working class and immigrant families who are disproportionately impacted by rising costs and economic instability.
—Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
In preparation for this, Amazon MGM Studios recently hired Nina Gold, the casting veteran who populated the world of Westeros in Game of Thrones and also worked on Netflix series The Crown, as well as five films in the Star Wars franchise.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
It’s also populated with enough solid jokes and familiar faces to suggest that the execs who are still financing these kinds of projects believe the mainstream comedy has a profitable future.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 May 2026
Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 6 June 2026
But one thing the out gay filmmaker has never done, somehow, is helm a project populated entirely by LGBTQ+ actors and characters.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
My previous novel was populated by Christian believers who, by and large, didn’t lose their religion.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
But in other parts of the world, fires are springing up with less warning and more ferocity—in many cases, directly threatening areas densely populated by humans.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 1 June 2026
The town itself is still populated, but the accuracy and penetration of the Russian drones mean Ukrainian troops cannot blend into civilian life.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Our district is one of the most diverse and densely populated in the city, with a higher proportion of working class and immigrant families who are disproportionately impacted by rising costs and economic instability.
—Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
In preparation for this, Amazon MGM Studios recently hired Nina Gold, the casting veteran who populated the world of Westeros in Game of Thrones and also worked on Netflix series The Crown, as well as five films in the Star Wars franchise.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
It’s also populated with enough solid jokes and familiar faces to suggest that the execs who are still financing these kinds of projects believe the mainstream comedy has a profitable future.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for populated
inhabited
Verb
-
Historic cultural sites from Indigenous groups that have inhabited the area for centuries are reemerging, though wiped of any artifacts.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
-
Five thousand years after his death, Ötzi’s body is still a whole ecosystem, built on the ruins of the one that once inhabited his body along with him.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Populated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/populated. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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