habitat

noun

hab·​i·​tat ˈha-bə-ˌtat 

1

a

: the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows

b

: the typical place of residence of a person or a group

the arctic habitat of the Inuit

c

: a housing for a controlled physical environment in which people can live under surrounding inhospitable conditions (as under the sea)

2

: the place where something is commonly found

has its natural habitat in university, in government, or in industrial laboratories

—B. B. Watson

Synonyms

• home
• niche
• range
• territory

Examples of habitat in a Sentence

a forest in California is set aside to preserve the unique brushy, rugged habitat required by nesting California condors

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s now new fishing regulations, shifts in target species, the rise of more species-specific gear and even changing social attitudes which have all contributed to fishers spending less time in angelshark habitats. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025

Volunteer in a California state park or join the local chapter of California Native Plant Society project to eradicate invasive plants and preserve native habitats. —Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2025

Major threats in the United States include damage and changes to nesting and foraging habitats, accidental capture during fishing, entanglement in marine debris and collisions with vessels. —Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 6 June 2025

Ecologists will teach walkers about raptor habitat in the area and native people who lived in the area and their role in recent restoration efforts. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, it inhabits, from habitare

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for habitat

• acrobat
• autocrat
• automat
• bundesrat
• bureaucrat
• butterfat
• caveat
• chemostat
• copycat
• cryostat
• democrat
• diplomat

Kids Definition

habitat

noun

hab·​i·​tat ˈhab-ə-ˌtat 

: the place or type of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives or grows

Medical Definition

habitat

noun

hab·​i·​tat ˈhab-ə-ˌtat 

1

: the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally occurs

the human pubic region is the natural habitat of the crab louse

2

: a housing for a controlled physical environment in which people can live surrounded by inhospitable conditions (as under the sea)