Langimage
English

overpopulate

|o/ver/pop/u/late|

B2

🇺🇸

/ˌoʊvərˈpɑːpjəˌleɪt/

🇬🇧

/ˌəʊvəˈpɒpjʊleɪt/

excessive population

Etymology
Etymology Information

'overpopulate' originates from the prefix 'over-' meaning 'excessively' and the word 'populate' from Latin 'populus' meaning 'people'.

Historical Evolution

'populate' changed from the Latin word 'populare' and eventually became the modern English word 'populate'.

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'to fill with people', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to fill excessively with people'.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Verb 1

to fill a place with too many people, leading to overcrowding.

The city began to overpopulate as more people moved in.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/01/25 07:37