populate
verb (used with object)
to inhabit; live in; be the inhabitants of.
populated
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past participleof populate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof populate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
populateverb (used with object)to inhabit; live in; be the inhabitants of.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Reconstructing the transition from a world populated almost entirely by microbes to one filled with plants, animals, and fungi could also help scientists understand whether complex life might develop elsewhere in the universe.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
Hilton leads in the state’s more sparsely populated and conservative-leaning areas, including the Central Valley and North Coast/Sierra region.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
But while the fires did come near heavily populated areas—such as Melbourne and Sydney, where many media outlets are based—the total national burn was “well below average,” according to the government’s annual environmental overview.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Remote communities, where the nearest town might be hundreds of kilometres away, can sometimes be bumped down the priority list for BC firefighting crews if there are blazes threatening more populated areas, she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Looking through the front window, he had seen no people: none of the busy afternoon crew of Street Cleaners, Landscape Workers, and Food Delivery people who usually populated the community at that time of day.
From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
