populate

[pop-yuh-leyt]

verb (used with object)

populated, populating 

1. to inhabit; live in; be the inhabitants of.

   Almost 2 million people populate the immediate area of the factory and were exposed to potential carcinogens.

2. to furnish with inhabitants, as by colonization; people.

   In the 1700s, the British government populated the colony of New South Wales with convicts.

3. Digital Technology.,  to fill (a digital document): She’s a fantastic photographer who has populated her blog with beautiful images.

   The survey results will populate the spreadsheet as soon as they are submitted online.

   She’s a fantastic photographer who has populated her blog with beautiful images.

populate

/ ˈpɒpjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. (often passive) to live in; inhabit

2. to provide a population for; colonize or people

Other Word Forms

• outpopulate verb (used with object)
• repopulate verb (used with object)
• superpopulated adjective
• underpopulate verb (used with object)
• unpopulated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of populate¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Medieval Latin populātus, past participle of populāre “to populate, inhabit”; people, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of populate¹

C16: from Medieval Latin populāre to provide with inhabitants, from Latin populus people

Example Sentences

In Indiana, Goodwill used to keep 9 to 10 miles of distance between stores, but now it is opening locations within 3 miles of each other in heavily populated areas.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The group called on its supporters to attend the mass funeral for its "great leader" Tabatabai which will take place in the southern suburbs, a densely populated area where it holds sway.

Read more on Barron's

Similarly, “Rebuilding” is a tale of grief and what-ifs populated by everyday folks who speak in terse tones.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Thucydides’ mastery of perspective allows him to populate his landscapes with the dilemmas of democratic politics—the battlefield where psychology meets strategy.

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A parody of a traditional newscast, the irreverent concept features dozens of peculiar puppets who populate the fictional town of Titirilquén.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• colonize 
• inhabit 
• occupy