ENGLISH
REFERENCE

depopulate

v.
US //diˈpɑpjəˌɫeɪt// UK //diːpˈɒpjʊlˌeɪt// de·pop·u·late Archaic
Synonyms
Origin

First attested in 1531; borrowed from Latin dēpopulātus, perfect active participle of dēpopulor (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)). Compare depeople, French dépeupler, Italian spopolare, Spanish despoblar, Portuguese despovoar and Romanian despopora; by surface analysis, de- + populate. Participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

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