habitat

noun

hab·​i·​tat ˈha-bə-ˌtat 

1

a

: the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows

b

: the typical place of residence of a person or a group

the arctic habitat of the Inuit

c

: a housing for a controlled physical environment in which people can live under surrounding inhospitable conditions (as under the sea)

2

: the place where something is commonly found

has its natural habitat in university, in government, or in industrial laboratories

—B. B. Watson

Synonyms

• home
• niche
• range
• territory

Examples of habitat in a Sentence

a forest in California is set aside to preserve the unique brushy, rugged habitat required by nesting California condors

Recent Examples on the Web

This is largely due to their habitats being broken up and increased human presence. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024

This group coordinates conservation efforts for the saola, working with local communities, governments, and international organizations to address threats and protect its remaining habitat. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Their decline was largely due to a combination of habitat loss, diseases including the sylvatic plague and a reduction in their primary food source: prairie dogs. —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

But the species recently found in the Port of Stockton of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is hundreds of miles away from its native habitat. —Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, it inhabits, from habitare

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

habitat

noun

hab·​i·​tat ˈhab-ə-ˌtat 

: the place or type of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives or grows

Medical Definition

habitat

noun

hab·​i·​tat ˈhab-ə-ˌtat 

1

: the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally occurs

the human pubic region is the natural habitat of the crab louse

2

: a housing for a controlled physical environment in which people can live surrounded by inhospitable conditions (as under the sea)