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

Their populations have been affected by habitat loss and declining food sources. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025

These tree-dwelling tarantulas, found in deforested regions, are rare and vulnerable to habitat loss. —Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2025

These are predators that face huge population declines due to overfishing, bycatch, and habitat loss, yet they are still being carved up and sold as wall décor. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025

Bryozoans are found in both marine and freshwater habitats around the world, including lakes, ponds, and kelp beds. —Laura Baisas Aug 20, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 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)