repopulate

verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"repopulate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“repopulate” is uncommon English (frequency #66,986 among 21,470 “R” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,986
frequency rank, English
21,470
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To populate again; to breed among a group in order to keep the population up.

Key facts for repopulate
PropertyValue
Headwordrepopulate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters10
Frequency rank#66,986
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “repopulate” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). repopulate lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

repopulate is uncommon English at frequency #66,986 among 21,470 “R” headwords, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for repopulate in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From re- + populate. The correct English form is repopulate, spelled R-E-P-O-P-U-L-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To populate again; to breed among a group in order to keep the population up.
  2. 2
    To reintroduce a species into (an area).
  3. 3
    To fill with data again; to refresh.

Etymology

From re- + populate.

This word in other languages

repoblar(Español)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "repopulate"?
"repopulate" is spelled R-E-P-O-P-U-L-A-T-E.
What does "repopulate" mean?
As a verb, "repopulate" means: To populate again; to breed among a group in order to keep the population up.
What is the origin of the word "repopulate"?
From re- + populate. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “repopulate”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-P-O-P-U-L-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list