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

Until 1848, Arizona, California, Texas, Nevada, Utah, western Colorado and New Mexico were part of Mexico and inhabited by numerous tribes, Indigenous cowboys and Mexican ranchers. —Hannah Cutting-Jones, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2024

While the series has seen Nadja have an affair with a knight named Gregor (Jake McDorman), moonlight as a manager of a nightclub and interact with a doll inhabited by her human ghost, the character has never been pregnant. —Stacy Lambe, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024

Scherzinger also nails the comedy of a camp diva, inhabiting Norma’s delusion and ego without ever losing sight of her sincerity. —Kathryn Vandervalk, EW.com, 21 Oct. 2024

In the film, two children open a secret chest which contains only a bag of marbles, only to discover that each marble contains a tiny growing world inhabited by surprising and colorful creatures. —Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

inhabit

verb

in·​hab·​it in-ˈhab-ət 

: to live or dwell in

inhabitable

-ət-ə-bəl 

adjective