inhabit

verb

in·​hab·​it in-ˈha-bət 

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 tale

—Al Newman

intransitive verb

archaic : to have residence in a place : dwell

inhabitable

in-ˈha-bə-tə-bəl 

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

But each and every one provides opportunities for actors to inhabit characters whose dreams, relationships and histories are as intricately arranged as a network of roads, bridges and tunnels in a bygone metropolis. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Its protagonist, Kelly, inhabits two very different worlds. —John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024

So these bent psychos out of a Cormac McCarthy novel are angrily inhabiting my deck. —Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024

In fact, the Lesser Sunda archipelago is home to the Komodo National Park and is inhabited by a population of around 5,700 Komodo dragons. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024

How appropriate that Martha’s quirky, sassy solo, which both mocked and celebrated her own artistic fearlessness, should be inhabited by one of today’s own multifaceted and charismatic trailblazers. —Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2024

There's certainly been [film] versions of it, but never inhabiting the storytelling of the MCU. —Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024

The 112-acre island on the Pine Island Sound was first inhabited by the Calusa people and Cuban fishermen. —Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 25 Mar. 2024

Not long ago, cardinals mainly inhabited the southern United States and were rare in the Northeast, even by the mid-1900s. —Cecilia Garzella, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024

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

Kids Definition

inhabit

verb

in·​hab·​it in-ˈhab-ət 

: to live or dwell in

inhabitable

-ət-ə-bəl 

adjective