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

Wetlands in the area are also home to Everglades snail kites, which hunt for apple snails in freshwater marshes, and other rare species that once inhabited vast wet prairies drained for highways and neighborhoods. —Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2026

That is, they are dotted with nodules inhabited by nitrogen-fixing bacteria that obviate the need for fertilizer. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026

That tonal shift is mirrored not only in the storytelling, but in the places the series now inhabits. —Chloe Laws, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026

There is a cruel dichotomy that separates the haves—the rest of the world—from the Congolese and other people who inhabit the zones where the minerals that will power the future are mined. —Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026

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