populate

[pop-yuh-leyt]

See more synonyms for populate on Thesaurus.com

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

to inhabit; live in; be the inhabitants of.
to furnish with inhabitants, as by colonization; people.

Origin of populate

1570–80; < Medieval Latin populātus, past participle of populāre to inhabit. See people, -ate¹

Related formsout·pop·u·late, verb (used with object), out·pop·u·lat·ed, out·pop·u·lat·ing.re·pop·u·late, verb (used with object), re·pop·u·lat·ed, re·pop·u·lat·ing.su·per·pop·u·lat·ed, adjectiveun·der·pop·u·late, verb (used with object), un·der·pop·u·lat·ed, un·der·pop·u·lat·ing.un·pop·u·lat·ed, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for populated

Contemporary Examples

Our American tendency to see the world as populated by like-minded souls is never productive.
Does Obama Remember He's President?
Stuart Stevens
September 8, 2014
Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa, has shut down and quarantined the hospital in Lagos where the man died.
CDC Calls Ebola Outbreak ‘Forest Fire’
Abby Haglage
July 28, 2014
Once upon a time, the GOP was populated by theologically moderate Episcopalians and Presbyterians.
Sam’s Club Republicans Vs. the Tea Party
Peter Beinart
October 29, 2013
Sleepy Hollow is populated by a bunch of lovable, strange heroes.
‘Sleepy Hollow’ Is TV’s Craziest, Most Over-the-Top New Show ... And You Should Watch It
Amy Zimmerman
October 8, 2013
Dagestan, the biggest and most populated republic of the North Caucasus, is a place where insurgents often strike.
The Threat Against the Olympics
Anna Nemtsova
September 18, 2013

Historical Examples

It has populated the mountains and the plains of our own country.
Ancient Man
Hendrik Willem van Loon
Third, some escapees from Ardu reached and populated the world Ardry.
Masters of Space
Edward Elmer Smith
Their world is not populated by men and women, but by a Unity that is Permanent.
A Preface to Politics
Walter Lippmann
On the frontiers, counties were organized and populated in a season.
Aladdin & Co.
Herbert Quick
He came not only after God was active, but after men and beasts had populated the world.
Myth, Ritual, and Religion, Vol. 1
Andrew Lang

British Dictionary definitions for populated

populate

verb (tr)

(often passive) to live in; inhabit
to provide a population for; colonize or people

Word Origin

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

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

Word Origin and History for populated

populate

v.

1610s, from Medieval Latin populatus, past participle of populare "inhabit, to people," from Latin populus "inhabitants, people, nation" (see people (n.)). Related: Populated; populating.

populate

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Examples from the Web for populated

Contemporary Examples

Our American tendency to see the world as populated by like-minded souls is never productive.

Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa, has shut down and quarantined the hospital in Lagos where the man died.

Once upon a time, the GOP was populated by theologically moderate Episcopalians and Presbyterians.

Sleepy Hollow is populated by a bunch of lovable, strange heroes.

Dagestan, the biggest and most populated republic of the North Caucasus, is a place where insurgents often strike.

Historical Examples

It has populated the mountains and the plains of our own country.

Third, some escapees from Ardu reached and populated the world Ardry.

Their world is not populated by men and women, but by a Unity that is Permanent.

On the frontiers, counties were organized and populated in a season.

He came not only after God was active, but after men and beasts had populated the world.

populate

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for populated

populate

v.

Origin of populate