inhabit

verb

in·​hab·​it in-ˈha-bət How to pronounce inhabit (audio)
inhabited; inhabiting; inhabits
Synonyms of inhabit

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 How to pronounce inhabit (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First built in 1668 for the sea captain John Turner, The House of the Seven Gables was later inhabited by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 An untitled 2026 work, featuring a bromeliad goddess, inhabits a different atmosphere. — Tatiane De Assis, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026 Finn, who received the Casting Visionary Award, offered a different perspective on the creative process, reflecting on nearly three decades spent finding the right actors to inhabit the worlds filmmakers imagine. — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026 The land the tribe inhabited before being evicted is now divided among ranchers, government agencies and a conservation nonprofit. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inhabit

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of inhabit was in the 14th century

Rhymes for inhabit

See All Rhymes for inhabit

Browse Nearby Words

inhabile
inhabit
inhabitability
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inhabit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inhabit. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

inhabit

verb
in·​hab·​it in-ˈhab-ət How to pronounce inhabit (audio)
: to live or dwell in
inhabitable
-ət-ə-bəl How to pronounce inhabit (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on inhabit

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for inhabit

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