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

Filmed over ten years, Mickey is a documentary about the memory of a trans woman from Sinaloa who, alongside the filmmaker who grew up with her, Dano, uses play and performance to re-signify the past and inhabit the present. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026

Staying safe from alligators in Florida Alligators have inhabited Florida's marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes for centuries and are found in all of Florida's 67 counties. — Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

Crowther's ultimate sacrifice was indicative not only of his upbringing in Empire Hook and Ladder, but of the spirit that inhabits all volunteer firefighters, Gottlieb argued. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026

In new production photos, Nyong’o can be seen inhabiting the role of A, an unnamed woman navigating the aftermath of an abusive relationship and the complicated, often deeply personal process of moving forward. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 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