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Webster 1913 Edition


Depopulate

De-pop′u-late

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Depopulated
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Depopulating
.]
[L.
depopulatus
, p. p. of
depopulari
to ravage;
de-
+
populari
to ravage, fr.
populus
people: cf. OF.
depopuler
, F.
dépeupler
. See
People
.]
To deprive of inhabitants, whether by death or by expulsion; to reduce greatly the populousness of; to dispeople; to unpeople.
Where is this viper,
That would
depopulate
the city?
Shakespeare
☞ It is not synonymous with laying waste or destroying, being limited to the loss of inhabitants; as, an army or a famine may depopulate a country. It rarely expresses an entire loss of inhabitants, but often a great diminution of their numbers; as, the deluge depopulated the earth.

De-pop′u-late

,
Verb.
I.
To become dispeopled.
[R.]
Whether the country be
depopulating
or not.
Goldsmith.

Webster 1828 Edition


Depopulate

DEPOPULATE

,
Verb.
T.
[L. To ravage or lay waste.] To dispeople; to unpeople; to deprive of inhabitants, whether by death, or by expulsion. It is not synonymous with laying waste or destroying, being limited to the loss of inhabitants; as, an army or a famine may depopulate a country. It rarely expresses an entire loss of inhabitants, but often a great diminution of their numbers. The deluge nearly depopulated the earth.

DEPOPULATE

,
Verb.
I.
To become dispeopled.

Definition 2024


depopulate

depopulate

English

Verb

depopulate (third-person singular simple present depopulates, present participle depopulating, simple past and past participle depopulated)

  1. (transitive) To reduce the population of a region by disease, war, forced relocation etc.
    • Shakespeare
      Where is this viper, / That would depopulate the city?

Translations

See also


Latin

Verb

dēpopulāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of dēpopulō