populating

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'populating' is correct and commonly used in written English.
It is derived from the verb 'populate' which means to fill with people or inhabitants. Example: The government's goal is to increase the population of the rural areas by providing incentives for job creation and better infrastructure, thereby populating these regions.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

The Anfal Campaign, which began in the late stages of the Iran-Iraq War, was conceived with the aim of destroying the Kurdish population of northern Iraq and populating the area with Arab Iraqis.

Independent

The curbs only cover banks, neglecting many of the firms populating China's shadow-banking system.

The Economist

Except for bits of Siberia, it was full of a new and clever kind of people who had originated in Africa and had colonised first their own continent, then Asia, Australia and Europe, and were on the brink of populating the Americas.

The Economist

The Oxford school, championed by Stephen Oppenheimer, believes that the descendants of a single emigration some 85,000 years ago, across the strait of Bab el Mandeb at the southern end of the Red Sea, are responsible for populating the rest of the world.

The Economist

Mr Romney can certainly dam the flow of new federal rules by populating agencies with more business-friendly appointees.

The Economist

Populating settlements will give them more weight in any future negotiations.

The Economist

But Texans have managed to turn this unwelcoming piece of the earth into a civilised home, taming the heat with air-conditioning and populating the desert with office buildings and mansions.The ability of Texans to impose their will on a hostile environment is indeed remarkable.

The Economist

"Up or out" has proved the key to the firm's capacity for regeneration, making room for a never-ending influx of young talent, and populating the world with McKinsey's alumni.

The Economist

They explore Brazil's ambiguous racial history, in which masters not only exploited and brutalised their slaves but routinely impregnated them, populating Brazil's half of the continent.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

2 human-written examples

Maybe it was my frustration, my feeling of powerlessness, but I was suddenly struck by a very strange idea about re-populating this and other abandoned urban areas like it all in one stroke, boom, say, with a homogenous colony of foreigners.

The New Yorker

But to make the scenario plausible — there was no way such a re-populating could happen anytime soon — I realized I had to set this colony within a very different future and a very different America, one that might tolerate and even need such settlers.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "populating", ensure the context clearly indicates what is being populated and with what. For example, "populating the region with new businesses" clarifies the subject and object of the action.

Common error

Avoid using "populating" when a simpler verb like "filling" or "inhabiting" is more appropriate. Overusing "populating" can make your writing sound unnecessarily complex or formal.

Linguistic Context

The term "populating" functions as a verb in its present participle form, often used within continuous verb tenses or as a gerund. As demonstrated by Ludwig, it describes the act of filling a space or area with inhabitants or objects.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Encyclopedias

16%

Science

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the word "populating" is a versatile and commonly used verb form that describes the act of filling a space or area. As noted by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and appropriate in a wide range of contexts. The phrase frequently appears in news articles, encyclopedias, and scientific publications, making it a neutral to formal word. When using "populating", ensure clarity by specifying what is being populated and with what. While there are numerous alternatives such as "inhabiting" or "filling", "populating" provides a specific nuance suitable for many descriptive scenarios.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

repopulating

Indicates the act of filling a place again after a decline in population.

peopling

Highlights the action of providing people for a place.

inhabiting

Focuses on residing or living in a place.

inhabiting

Highlights the state of residing in a place.

settling

Emphasizes establishing a home or community in a new area.

colonizing

Implies establishing control over an area and introducing new inhabitants.

filling

Emphasizes the act of making a place full.

stocking

Implies filling a place with a specific type of item or people for a purpose.

crowding

Suggests filling a place to an excessive degree.

developing

Highlights the act of improving a place, often including increasing its population.

FAQs

How to use "populating" in a sentence?

Use "populating" to describe the action of filling a place or area with inhabitants or objects. For example, "The project aims at "populating the area" with new businesses".

What's the difference between "populating" and "inhabiting"?

"Populating" refers to the act of filling a place, while "inhabiting" refers to the state of living in a place. You can "populate an area", and then the area becomes "inhabited".

What can I say instead of "populating"?

Alternatives include "filling", "inhabiting", "settling", or "peopling" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "populating with"?

Yes, it is correct. The phrase "populating with" is commonly used to specify what is being used to fill a place. For example, "populating the region with new residents".