populate
verb
pop·u·late
ˈpä-pyə-ˌlāt 
populated; populating
2
a
: to furnish or provide with inhabitants : people
… there were survivors, and their descendants populate the world today.—
Walter Alvarez
Walter Alvarez
b
: to provide with members
Examples of populate in a Sentence
Immigrants began to populate the area in the late 19th century.
Strange creatures populate the ocean depths.
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, early versions of mollusks and sponges populated the seafloor as jellyfish floated above.
—Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 1 May 2026
There are flashes of overwhelming tenderness and wind-stopping moments, and the songs are generally rich and full of character, populated by her usual cast of gay witches, Southern Baptist girls, medicine women, saints, and pre-Christian gods.
—Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
There were long lines for gas, yes, but populated mostly by people who wanted to save a few bucks at Costco.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Yet whatever the circumstances, the characters who populate her songs have an abiding and unshakable likability.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for populate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 1 May 2026
There are flashes of overwhelming tenderness and wind-stopping moments, and the songs are generally rich and full of character, populated by her usual cast of gay witches, Southern Baptist girls, medicine women, saints, and pre-Christian gods.
—Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
There were long lines for gas, yes, but populated mostly by people who wanted to save a few bucks at Costco.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Yet whatever the circumstances, the characters who populate her songs have an abiding and unshakable likability.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for populate
Cite this Entry
“Populate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populate. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
populate
verb
pop·u·late
ˈpäp-yə-ˌlāt
populated; populating
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
