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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
unpopulated
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "unpopulated" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an area or location that is not inhabited or has no population. Example: "The unpopulated region was a perfect spot for the researchers to conduct their studies without any disturbances."
✓ Grammatically correct
News & Media
Encyclopedias
Alternative expressions(5)
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified examples from authoritative sources
Exact Expressions
60 human-written examples
A host of other, unpopulated, territories would be open to scrutiny on grounds of proximity, or lack of it: swathes of Antarctica for example.
News & Media
A Syrian with experience in unofficial "track-two" negotiations suggests that Israel could make its own gesture by relinquishing the Shabaa Farms, a small, unpopulated nub of territory on the Golan which Lebanon claims as its own.
News & Media
In October the World Bank published a report predicting it would grow by 40%, if only Israel would let the Palestinians fully exploit the unpopulated parts of the West Bank.
News & Media
"This is a country with a lot of land, most of which is unpopulated," says Ricardo Rodríguez, the immigration director.
News & Media
As if painting another, more magical world, he also did bare, unpopulated moorscapes and nearly all-white seascapes verging on abstraction.Curiously, the very mention of Lowry continues to enrage some people.
News & Media
Expeditions take around four weeks and cost about $14,000 per person.For sheer remoteness and scenery, visit South Georgia, a narrow, 106-mile-long, snow-covered, glacier-strewn, unpopulated island with two majestic mountain ranges.
News & Media
Daniel Moylan, Mr Johnson's aviation adviser, says such a project could have a "dramatic effect, which would last for hundreds of years" on a region that is relatively poor and unpopulated despite its proximity to the metropolis.A Crossrail exodusSuch ambitions do not come cheap.
News & Media
THE Silala (known as the Siloli in Chile) trickles down from Bolivia's unpopulated Andean plateau to the Chilean border.
News & Media
His proposal would indeed beat a third runway at Heathrow on two important grounds: it would have enough capacity to handle the growth in passenger numbers for many decades ahead, and, being in a relatively unpopulated area, would torment far fewer people with noise.
News & Media
The resulting "rather large" unpopulated areas in Albania could be offered as a "permanent home (territory) to several Christian minorities" coming from the Middle East.Seeing himself as a modern-day crusader, Mr Breivik presumably hoped that by murdering so many fellow Norwegians he would provoke a new world war in which the Balkans would be one of the central fronts.
News & Media
The pretence was that the land to the east was unpopulated, or if it was occupied, then somehow that it didn't matter.Slavs, Poles and Jews were described by the Third Reich in characteristically watery, marshy terms denoting their passivity, their cunning, their fertility, their lack of civilisation.
News & Media
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
When describing areas as "unpopulated", consider the specific context to determine if more evocative words like "desolate" or "uninhabited" might be more appropriate for your intended tone.
Common error
Avoid using "unpopulated" repetitively in descriptive passages. Vary your vocabulary with synonyms like "uninhabited", "desolate", or "empty" to create a more engaging reading experience.
Source & Trust
89%
Authority and reliability
4.6/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The adjective "unpopulated" primarily functions to describe a geographical area or location. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage to indicate a lack of residents or inhabitants, as demonstrated in numerous examples describing territories, islands, and regions.
Frequent in
News & Media
58%
Encyclopedias
21%
Science
21%
Less common in
Formal & Business
0%
Wiki
0%
Reference
0%
Ludwig's WRAP-UP
The adjective "unpopulated" effectively describes areas lacking inhabitants, as affirmed by Ludwig AI's analysis and numerous examples. Predominantly found in News & Media and Encyclopedias, its neutral register makes it appropriate for diverse descriptive contexts. While grammatically sound and frequently used, varying your vocabulary with synonyms like "uninhabited" or "desolate" can enhance your writing. Use "unpopulated" to inform readers of a place's lack of residents and adapt the nuance to the specific area you are describing.
More alternative expressions(6)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
uninhabited
Focuses specifically on the absence of human habitation.
devoid of inhabitants
A formal phrase emphasizing the complete absence of residents.
without residents
Explicitly states the absence of people living in a place.
unpeopled
A more formal and less common synonym for "unpopulated".
lacking population
Directly describes the absence of a population.
sparsely inhabited
Highlights a low density of residents, suggesting some presence but very few.
unsettled
Indicates a lack of established communities or inhabitants.
desolate
Emphasizes a sense of emptiness and abandonment, often with negative connotations.
empty
A general term indicating a lack of contents or occupants.
vacant
Suggests a temporary absence of occupants, implying potential future habitation.
FAQs
What does "unpopulated" mean?
"Unpopulated" means lacking inhabitants or residents; an area with no people living there.
What can I say instead of "unpopulated"?
Alternatives to "unpopulated" include "uninhabited", "desolate", "empty", "vacant", or "sparsely inhabited depending on the nuance you wish to convey".
How is "unpopulated" different from "uninhabited"?
While both terms refer to a lack of residents, "unpopulated" focuses on the absence of a population in general, while "uninhabited" specifically implies that there are no human residents.
Is it correct to say "largely unpopulated"?
Yes, "largely unpopulated" is a correct and commonly used phrase to describe an area that is mostly without inhabitants but may have a few residents.
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Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Source & Trust
89%
Authority and reliability
4.6/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested