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

Powell inhabits a handful of tough guys and embodies a few more idiosyncratic tropes—a long-haired Russian, a Patrick Bateman power-suit type, and a character seemingly inspired by Tilda Swinton—to convince his marks. —Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2024

In it, players inhabit a post-apocalyptic world where humans live alongside giant mechanical beasts. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024

The Wampanoag have inhabited present-day Massachusetts and eastern Rhode Island for more than 12,000 years, according to the tribe. —Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024

Nicknamed Hell’s Aquarium for the number of carnivorous sea monsters that inhabited this swath of sea, Deinosuchus lived along with a number of toothy beasts. —Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 25 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