populate

UK: /ˈpɒpjʊleɪt/ US: /ˈpɑpjəˌleɪt/ ,(pop′yə lāt′)

Inflections of 'populate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

populates

v 3rd person singular

populating

v pres p

populated

v past

populated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pop•u•late /ˈpɑpyəˌleɪt/   v. [~ + object] , -lat•ed, -lat•ing. 

1. to inhabit;
   live in:
   The region was populated by Celts and Germanic settlers.
2. to furnish with inhabitants;
   people:
   to populate the desert.

See -pop-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pop•u•late  (pop′yə lāt′), v.t., -lat•ed, -lat•ing. 

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

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

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

populate / ˈpɒpjʊˌleɪt/ verb (transitive)

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

Etymology: 16th Century: from Medieval Latin populāre to provide with inhabitants, from Latin populus people