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Depopulate - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

Depopulate means to reduce the number of people living in a place, often due to migration, disease, or deliberate policies. It can describe both natural declines and intentional actions.

depopulate

/dɪˈpɑpjəˌleɪt/ /diːˈpɒpjʊleɪt/

Definition:

To reduce the population of an area, often by force or due to disaster.

Synonyms:

unpeople, evacuate, desolate

Part of Speech:

verb

Antonyms:

populate, repopulate

Common Collocations:

depopulate a region, depopulate villages, depopulate rapidly

Derivatives:

depopulation, depopulated

Usage Tips:

Use "depopulate" when describing significant population decline, often due to war, disease, or migration.

Common Phrases:

depopulate the land, depopulated by war, mass depopulation event

Etymology:

From Latin *depopulatus*, past participle of *depopulari* ("to lay waste").

Examples:

  • 1. The war threatened to depopulate entire towns as people fled for safety.
  • 2. Disease outbreaks can quickly depopulate vulnerable communities without proper healthcare access.
  • 3. Government policies sometimes unintentionally depopulate rural areas by encouraging urban migration.
  • 4. Historians note how plagues once depopulated vast regions of medieval Europe.
  • 5. Efforts to conserve wildlife may require temporarily depopulating certain human settlements nearby.

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