auto-populate

or au·to·pop·u·late

[ aw-toh-pop-yuh-leyt ]

verb (used with or without object)

, Digital Technology.

, au·to-pop·u·lat·ed, au·to-pop·u·lat·ing.

1. to automatically populate (a digital document): The name and birth date fields will auto-populate based on user profile information. Compare autocomplete ( def 1 ), autofill ( def 1 ).

   Integration with GPS apps allows users to auto-populate expense reports with mileage totals.

   The name and birth date fields will auto-populate based on user profile information.

Word History and Origins

Origin of auto-populate¹

First recorded in 2000–05; auto- ³( def ) + populate ( def ) (in the sense “to fill a digital document”)