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populated area

populated area

24 2.4
An area where many people live, like a city or town
  • noun
  • /ˈpɒpjʊleɪtɪd ˈɛəriə/
translation icon : zona poblada
  • The neighborhood is one of the fastest-growing, most densely populated areas in the city.
  • a densely populated area
  • a sparsely populated area
  • less populated areas

The Senate is so overrepresented by less populated areas and they wield such a big stick.

Examples

  • Some of the nuclear labs were located in heavily populated areas; others were deep underground.

    Blog text (22)
  • A major earthquake in a populated area may have that potential.

    Academic text (2006)
  • And loss of life in populated areas.

  • - So we'll avoid populated areas.

  • Release this thing in a heavily populated area.

  • We are urging citizens to lock their doors and avoid populated areas.

  • I'd just as soon stay out of the more populated areas.

  • Stop him before he reaches a populated area!

  • Target's approaching a populated area where debris could hit the ground.

  • The new shopping mall will be built in a populated area to attract more customers.

Synonyms

neighborhood
vspopulated area
  • US
1.8

An area in a town or city where people live near each other

is a broader inhabited region, not only small local communities
urban area
vspopulated area
41 2.7

A place with many people and buildings like a city

is a general inhabited region that need not be densely built
locality
vspopulated area
23 3.9

An area near a place where people live or work

is defined by having people live there, especially larger settlements
residential area
vspopulated area
16 2.1

Part of a town where people live in houses or apartments

is any inhabited area, not limited to places mainly for housing

Antonyms

20 4.0

A place with no people living there

1 3.0

A place that people no longer live in or use

How Populated

metropolis
175 5.2
city
1.0
populated area
24 2.4
village
1.0
hamlet
24 5.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

populated + area

The meaning 'a region where people live' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'populated' (occupied by people) with 'area' (a region or place). This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition following standard morphological rules and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The phrase populated area comes from the clear image of an area that is populated, a space filled with houses or people like dots on a map. So, it means 'a place where people live', such as a town or city.