inhabit

verb

in·​hab·​it in-ˈha-bət How to pronounce inhabit (audio)
inhabited; inhabiting; inhabits
Synonyms of inhabitnext

transitive verb

1
: to occupy as a place of settled residence or habitat : live in
inhabit a small house
2
: to be present in or occupy in any manner or form
the human beings who inhabit this tale— Al Newman

intransitive verb

archaic : to have residence in a place : dwell
inhabitable
in-ˈha-bə-tə-bəl How to pronounce inhabit (audio)
adjective
inhabiter noun

Examples of inhabit in a Sentence

Several hundred species of birds inhabit the island. This part of the country is inhabited by native tribes. There is a romantic quality that inhabits all her paintings. The novel is inhabited by a cast of eccentric characters.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These days, the old salt flats are inhabited by osprey, egrets, pelicans, herons, and more. — Laura Begley Bloom, AFAR Media, 10 Mar. 2025 Her brand, founded in 2020, inhabits a unique space in womenswear—between intergenerational handcraft and textile innovation. — Gemma A. Williams, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025 Shear inhabits Sam with enough neuroses to make Alvy Singer look like George Clooney. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025 In asking questions about the relationship between the decorative and the utilitarian, space and the people who inhabit it, and industrial materials and symbolic archetypes, ASMA worked to materialize our deepest, most unknown selves in the environments that shape us. — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inhabit

Word History

Etymology

Middle English enhabiten, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French inhabiter, enhabiter, from Latin inhabitare, from in- + habitare to dwell, frequentative of habēre to have — more at give

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inhabit was in the 14th century

Rhymes for inhabit

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Browse Nearby Words

inhabit
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Cite this Entry

“Inhabit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inhabit. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

inhabit

verb
in·​hab·​it in-ˈhab-ət How to pronounce inhabit (audio)
: to live or dwell in
inhabitable
-ət-ə-bəl How to pronounce inhabit (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on inhabit

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for inhabit

Nglish: Translation of inhabit for Spanish Speakers

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