I. de·populate (ˈ)dē+ verb
Etymology: Latin depopulatus, past participle of depopulari, depopulare, from de- + populari, populare to ravage, perhaps from populus people — more at people
transitive verb
1. obsolete : to lay waste : devastate , ravage
2. : to deprive wholly or partly of inhabitants (as by war or pestilence) : reduce the population of
the Black Death … depopulated parts of Europe in the 15th century — V.M.Ehlers & E.W.Steel
the cities almost depopulated of Spaniards gone to seek the greater riches of Mexico — Marjory S. Douglas
intransitive verb
: to become less populous
II. de·pop·u·late (ˈ)dē|päpyələ̇t adjective
Etymology: Latin depopulatus
archaic : depopulated