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

Cars, and the roads that slice through Southwest Florida panther habitat to accommodate them, are the leading cause of death for a species with likely fewer than 230 adults remaining in the wild. — Max Chesnes, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026

In 2019, researchers examining Centrosaurus bones found recent organic material and thriving microbial communities, illustrating how fossil bone can become a habitat with chemistry distinct from surrounding sediment. — New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2026

The 90-acre Turtle Conservancy in Ojai once focused on creating or maintaining turtle habitats around the world, but has of late focused on building habitats for displaced creatures in Ojai. — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026

So in this episode of the Outdoor Life Podcast, Sturgis will reference his decades of experience working on private land habitat as well as his time spent hunting on public ground to outline the most common and detrimental deer hunting mistakes. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 1 Nov. 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)