inhabit

verb

in·​hab·​it in-ˈha-bət 

inhabited; inhabiting; inhabits

transitive verb

1

: to occupy as a place of settled residence or habitat : live in

inhabit a small house

2

: to be present in or occupy in any manner or form

the human beings who inhabit this tale

—Al Newman

intransitive verb

archaic : to have residence in a place : dwell

inhabitable

in-ˈha-bə-tə-bəl 

adjective

inhabiter noun

Examples of inhabit in a Sentence

Several hundred species of birds inhabit the island.

This part of the country is inhabited by native tribes.

There is a romantic quality that inhabits all her paintings.

The novel is inhabited by a cast of eccentric characters.

Recent Examples on the Web

Actor Adil Hussain will deliver a masterclass on how actors can inhabit characters authentically across diverse cultural contexts. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025

Some of the valleys have been inhabited since the Stone Age, and some tiny villages trace their history back to the Middle Ages. —Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025

The new species inhabits an incredibly small range, leaving it at risk of habitat changes despite living inside a nature reserve, according to the study. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025

Iceland was previously one of two regions with climates too cold for mosquitoes to inhabit, according to the World Population Review. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English enhabiten, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French inhabiter, enhabiter, from Latin inhabitare, from in- + habitare to dwell, frequentative of habēre to have — more at give

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for inhabit

• cohabit
• jackrabbit
• abbot
• habit
• rabbit
• sabot
• shabbat

Kids Definition

inhabit

verb

in·​hab·​it in-ˈhab-ət 

: to live or dwell in

inhabitable

-ət-ə-bəl 

adjective