depopulate

verb

de·​pop·​u·​late (ˌ)dē-ˈpä-pyə-ˌlāt 

depopulated; depopulating; depopulates

transitive verb

1

obsolete : ravage

2

: to reduce greatly the population of

depopulation

(ˌ)dē-ˌpä-pyə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

Examples of depopulate in a Sentence

Large areas of the country had been depopulated by disease.

Recent Examples on the Web

Should anyone literally expect that humanity will depopulate down to the last two people? —Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025

Even more problematically, some of the more extreme figures in Netanyahu’s Cabinet have seized on Trump’s words as implicit approval for their own plans to depopulate Gaza and reannex the territory. —Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 31 July 2025

Urban neighborhood after urban neighborhood was depopulated. —James Burling, Oc Register, 13 July 2025

As deforestation depleted the local industry, the sawmills moved away and the area was depopulated. —Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 13 July 2025

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

Rhymes for depopulate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

depopulate

verb

de·​pop·​u·​late (ˈ)dē-ˈpäp-yə-ˌlāt 

: 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 

noun