Depopulating

/ˌdiːˈpɒpjuleɪtɪŋ/ verb

Definition

Present participle of 'depopulate': the ongoing process of greatly reducing a population or emptying a place of people.

Etymology

From 'depopulate' with '-ing' suffix, describing the continuous action of population reduction.

Kelly Says

Rural depopulation is happening right now in many countries as young people move to cities for jobs, leaving villages and farmlands increasingly empty—it's a modern echo of historical population shifts.

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Passive voice in narratives of depopulation obscures perpetrators of forced displacement.

Inclusive Usage

Use active voice to identify agents: 'policies depopulated X' rather than 'X was depopulating.'

Inclusive Alternatives

["forcibly displacing","ethnically cleansing","causing mass exodus"]

Related Words

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