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

Standing in the sun for hours with a placard is not my natural habitat. —Doug McIntyre, Oc Register, 22 June 2025

Tour the Lighthouse, observe wildlife in their natural habitat in the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, hunt for shells along the beach, dine on a picnic lunch, play on the lawns around the Lighthouse, and simply have a good time. —Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2025

Nevertheless, the most memorable part of the entire experience was floating in the water, surrounded by sea lions in their natural habitat. —Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 21 June 2025

Rather than shooting and killing his subjects like Audubon, Catesby painted the birds alive in their natural habitats. —Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 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)