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
The rooms Called casitas, the standard rooms here are closer in size to suites in other hotels—they're 925 square feet—and each one comes with airy outdoor terraces or patios populated with comfy daybeds and lounge chairs.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
Firstman has populated his film well, making good use of Isgandarov, Colleen Camp, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Diego Calva as a seriously sexy social-worker/love interest.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
The region out past Neptune is populated by billions of icy, rocky bodies called trans-Neptunian objects (or TNOs) left over from the solar system’s formation.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 15 May 2026
If a store has been buying Petaluma Creamery two-pound cheddar on a consistent cycle for years, the AI pre-populates the order.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for populate
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Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
Firstman has populated his film well, making good use of Isgandarov, Colleen Camp, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Diego Calva as a seriously sexy social-worker/love interest.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
The region out past Neptune is populated by billions of icy, rocky bodies called trans-Neptunian objects (or TNOs) left over from the solar system’s formation.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 15 May 2026
If a store has been buying Petaluma Creamery two-pound cheddar on a consistent cycle for years, the AI pre-populates the order.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 May 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 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
populate
verb
pop·u·late
ˈpäp-yə-ˌlāt
populated; populating
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