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

There are 50 food desert communities across New Jersey, including densely populated cities like Trenton and Atlantic City.

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Jamming is an effective but potentially fraught measure in populated areas.

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Mr. Ciattarelli wants to pull New Jersey out of a cap-and-trade program that raises costs for gas plants, and to open new nuclear plants in sparsely populated parts of the state.

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“We’re talking about a certified system that is certified for use in and around populated areas,” he says.

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It focuses instead on animals populating the East Coast of North America during the late Cretaceous Period, from 100 million to 66 million years ago.

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Related Words

• colonize 
• inhabit 
• occupy