inhabit

verb

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

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 taleAl Newman

intransitive verb

archaic : to have residence in a place : dwell
inhabitable 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.
The 33 towns being considered for this project, which are expected to meet final approval in the coming weeks, are all on the brink of extinction with the number of empty and abandoned houses outnumbering those that are inhabited. Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025 But the expansive universe these characters inhabit led to encounters with plenty of additional hobbit characters, played by the likes of Andy Serkis, Ian Holm, and Sarah McLeod. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2025 Nearly 30 endemic bird species inhabit the jungles of what some call the Galápagos of Africa, which lies about 150 miles off the shores of Gabon and reachable via an 8.5-hour flight from Lisbon. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2025 Native to the tropical forests of Africa, these beetles inhabit regions where moist, decaying wood and rich leaf litter form the backbone of their lifecycle. Scott Travers, Forbes, 17 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inhabit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inhabit. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

inhabit

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

More from Merriam-Webster on inhabit

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