overpopulate

[oh-ver-pop-yuh-leyt]

See more synonyms for overpopulate on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), o·ver·pop·u·lat·ed, o·ver·pop·u·lat·ing.

to fill with an excessive number of people, straining available resources and facilities: Expanding industry has overpopulated the western suburbs.

Origin of overpopulate

First recorded in 1865–70; over- + populate

Related formso·ver·pop·u·la·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for overpopulation

bottleneck, overpopulation, profusion, jam, mass, excess, press, surplus, surfeit, crowding, snarl-up, overcrowding, overdevelopment

Examples from the Web for overpopulation

Contemporary Examples of overpopulation

Overpopulation is the single most important public health problem in the world.
How Over-the-Counter Birth Control Could Screw You
Kent Sepkowitz
November 24, 2012
Fortunately, though, overpopulation has a remedy: birth control.
How Over-the-Counter Birth Control Could Screw You
Kent Sepkowitz
November 24, 2012
He harangues people about overpopulation, SUVs, and carbon emissions.
Things Jonathan Franzen Says Are Bad for Society: Kakutani, Facebook
Josh Dzieza
March 7, 2012

Historical Examples of overpopulation

Overpopulation had long since ceased to be a problem—the atomic wars had seen to that.
It's All Yours
Sam Merwin
Overpopulation of England, colonization and the belief in, 67, 138.
Beginnings of the American People
Carl Lotus Becker
Albertsville was a nice town, too young for slums, too new for overpopulation.
The Lani People
J. F. Bone
Many parts of the country are suffering from overpopulation.
The Siberian Overland Route from Peking to Petersburg,
Alexander Michie
A much greater danger, according to Dr. Reed, is overpopulation.
The Scrap Book. Volume 1, No. 2
Various

British Dictionary definitions for overpopulation

overpopulation

noun

the population of an area in too large numbers

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

overpopulation in Science

overpopulation

[ō′vər-pŏp′yə-lā′shən]

The population of an environment by a particular species in excess of the environment's carrying capacity. The effects of overpopulation can include the depletion of resources, environmental deterioration, and the prevalence of famine and disease.