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

The stark, nearly windowless five-story building was earlier this year vacated by the Frick Collection, which had inhabited it since 2021 as the Frick Madison while its own home, a Gilded Age Fifth Avenue mansion, was being restored. —News Desk, Artforum, 4 Nov. 2024

Now, Paul Rudd has the distinction of being the first actor on this show to inhabit two roles…. —Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 29 Oct. 2024

Science is inhabited by a community, but it isn’t built by a committee. —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

About 3,800-4,400 independent lions inhabit the state, while Colorado’s bobcat population is about 21,000, per agency estimates. —Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 1 Nov. 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