peuplée

Peuplée is the feminine singular past participle of the French verb peupler. Used as an adjective, it means inhabited or populated and describes places that host people, animals, or other living beings. The masculine form is peuplé, and the plural forms are peuplés (masculine) and peuplées (feminine). When used in compound tenses, peuplée can function as a past participle in passive constructions, for example: La région a été peuplée par des migrants.

Usage and examples

Peuplée is common in geography, ecology, demography, and literary contexts. It appears in phrases such as une région peuplée, une forêt peuplée d’oiseaux, or une planète peuplée. It conveys not only occupancy but also the presence and variety of inhabitants within a space.

Nuance and synonyms

Peuplée emphasizes the existence of a population within a place. It is sometimes preferred over habité, which can focus more on being inhabited, while peuplé/peuplée stresses the presence of multiple inhabitants or a community. The term is often contrasted with des zones peuplées versus des zones désertes (populated versus uninhabited).

Etymology and related terms

Peuplée derives from peupler, linked to peuple (people) and ultimately to Latin populus, meaning people. Related terms include peuplement (the act or process of populating) and population, as well as habiter or habité for the broader notion of living in a place.

See also: peuplement, population, habiter, habité.