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

The sanctuary gave her space to socialize and play in a setting close to her natural habitat under the watchful eyes of adoptive gorilla mothers. — Elodie Toto, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Hunting license fees and federal excise taxes on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment help fund habitat restoration, wildlife research and conservation programs. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

The family has been farming rice there since 1937 and has long managed its land as both cropland and wildlife habitat. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026

Conditions such as weather, food availability and habitat quality encountered during migration can determine whether an individual survives to breed again. — Amy L. Scarpignato, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 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)