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
• 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

Like coral reefs, these oyster reefs played crucial ecological roles, providing habitat and nurseries for many other species and filtering vast volumes of water. —JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025

Rare gastropods and bivalves that have adapted to volcanic and hydrothermal-influenced habitats, as well as a possible new species of black coral, were also among the discoveries. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 30 Oct. 2025

Conservation is of major concern in this case, as the Aptostichus ramirezae species' habitat is being rapidly eroded and reduced by rising sea levels, urban development and wildfires. —Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025

Meanwhile, the diving center is connected to an underwater base anchored to the seabed and ensures that the habitat remains stable and protected from waves and storms. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 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)