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 of habitat

• home
• territory
• range

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

But Kyne cautions against complacency, as bycatch in fisheries, expanding agricultural development and proposals to extract freshwater from northern rivers continue to threaten the nursery habitats young sawfish depend on. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

The edges of your lawn and garden provide the perfect habitat for these plants, while fences and retaining walls can give support to growing poison ivy vines. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2026

African lions are considered vulnerable, zoo officials said, adding that their population has decreased by 50% over the last 25 years because of habitat loss, loss of prey and conflicts between humans and lions. — Finch Walker, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

Plus, transforming swift rivers into stagnant reservoirs alters downstream water temperatures, sediment flow, and oxygen levels, destroying the delicate habitats native fish depend on to survive. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026

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)