unpopulated
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: 1. Not inhabited by people; having no permanent residents. Describes a place, area, or region that is empty of human population. It emphasizes the absence of people, often implying the land is wild, desolate, or undeveloped.
Usage
The adjective "unpopulated" is used to describe geographical areas. It is typically placed before a noun (e.g., an unpopulated island) or after a linking verb like "is," "was," or "remains" (e.g., the region is largely unpopulated). It is a neutral, factual term.
Examples
- Before a noun:
- The explorers landed on an unpopulated island.
- They flew over miles of unpopulated desert.
- The plan is to build the new airport in an unpopulated area.
- After a linking verb:
- The northern part of the country is mostly unpopulated.
- This valley has remained unpopulated for centuries.
- The vast plains are unpopulated except for a few nomadic herders.
Advanced Usage
- "Vast unpopulated plains": A common collocation highlighting both the size and the emptiness of a landscape.
- "Sparsely populated vs. unpopulated": "Sparsely populated" means very few people live there, while "unpopulated" means effectively none. "Unpopulated" is a stronger, more absolute term.
Variants and Related Words
- Uninhabited (adj): A very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "unpopulated." It specifically means not lived in by people.
- Deserted (adj): Emphasizes that a place that was once inhabited is now empty. It can carry a sense of abandonment.
- Desolate (adj): Emphasizes a bleak, empty, and often inhospitable quality, which may result from being unpopulated.
- Wilderness (n): A wild, uncultivated, and typically uninhabited/unpopulated area.
Synonyms
- Uninhabited
- Deserted
- Empty
- Unpeopled
- Unsettled
Antonyms
- Populated
- Inhabited
- Settled
- Peopled
- Crowded
Adjective
- with no people living there
- vast unpopulated plains