habitable

adjective

hab·​it·​able ˈha-bə-tə-bəl 

 also  hə-ˈbi-tə-

: capable of being lived in : suitable for habitation

habitability

ˌha-bə-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

habitableness

ˈha-bə-tə-bəl-nes 

noun

habitably

ˈha-bə-tə-blē 

 also  hə-ˈbi-tə-

adverb

Synonyms

• inhabitable

Examples of habitable in a Sentence

The house is not habitable.

the frigid Arctic is not habitable for amphibians and reptiles—or for humans, either, for that matter

Recent Examples on the Web

This suggests the middle band of Earth is becoming less habitable. —Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 25 July 2025

What’s more, other recent work, including discoveries by other researchers at UC Irvine, have found that tens of billions of white dwarf stars once believed to be non-starters in the search for life might, in fact, generate enough heat to make a planet habitable. —Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 16 July 2025

No one was inside during the fire, the release noted, and the home was deemed habitable. —Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025

The coolness of red dwarf stars like LHS 2520 means they are often posited as stars likely to host habitable zones. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 7 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for habitable

• uninhabitable

Kids Definition

habitable

adjective

hab·​it·​able ˈhab-ət-ə-bəl 

: suitable or fit to live in

a habitable cave

habitability

ˌhab-ət-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

Legal Definition

habitable

adjective

hab·​it·​able ˈha-bi-tə-bəl 

: suitable and fit for a person to live in : free of defects that endanger the health and safety of occupants see also warranty of habitability at warranty

habitability

ˌha-bi-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

habitableness noun

habitably adverb