depopulate

verb

de·​pop·​u·​late (ˌ)dē-ˈpä-pyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce depopulate (audio)
depopulated; depopulating; depopulates
Synonyms of depopulatenext

transitive verb

1
obsolete : ravage
2
: to reduce greatly the population of
depopulation
(ˌ)dē-ˌpä-pyə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce depopulate (audio)
noun

Examples of depopulate in a Sentence

Large areas of the country had been depopulated by disease.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The areas Israel controls in Gaza have been mostly destroyed and depopulated. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026 Israel currently controls around 60% of Gaza, areas that have been mostly destroyed and depopulated. — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026 Towns were depopulated or abandoned altogether; farmland was left fallow; forests regrew; busy thoroughfares fell silent and grand villas derelict. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026 The area that now makes up western Ukraine was so thoroughly depopulated of Poles by the end of World War II that the Soviet Union decided to redraw the map of Eastern Europe, moving Ukraine and Poland westward at Germany’s expense to create the three modern borders. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for depopulate

Word History

Etymology

Latin depopulatus, past participle of depopulari, from de- + populari to ravage

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of depopulate was in 1548

Rhymes for depopulate

See All Rhymes for depopulate

Browse Nearby Words

depopularize
depopulate
depopulation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Depopulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depopulate. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

depopulate

verb
de·​pop·​u·​late (ˈ)dē-ˈpäp-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce depopulate (audio)
: to reduce greatly the population of (as a city or region) by destroying or driving away the inhabitants
depopulated by plague
depopulation
(ˌ)dē-ˌpäp-yə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce depopulate (audio)
noun

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