habitat

American  

[hab-i-tat] / ˈhæb ɪˌtæt /

noun

• habitats
  plural

1. 

   the natural environment of an organism; the place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism.

   Orchids have a tropical habitat.

2. the place where a person or thing is usually found.

   Paris is a major habitat of artists.

3. a special environment for living in over an extended period, as an underwater research vessel.

4. habitation.

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habitat British  

/ ˈhæbɪˌtæt /

noun

1. the environment in which an animal or plant normally lives or grows

2. the place in which a person, group, class, etc, is normally found

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habitat Scientific  

/ hăb′ĭ-tăt′ /

1. The area or natural environment in which an organism or population normally lives. A habitat is made up of physical factors such as soil, moisture, range of temperature, and availability of light as well as biotic factors such as the availability of food and the presence of predators. A habitat is not necessarily a geographic area—for a parasitic organism it is the body of its host or even a cell within the host's body.

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habitat Cultural  

1. The area or type of environment in which a particular kind of animal or plant usually lives.

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Synonym Usage

See ecosystem ( def. ).

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• habitats
  plural

Etymology

Origin of habitat

First recorded in 1755–65; from Latin: “it inhabits,” 3rd person singular present indicative of habitāre “to inhabit, dwell, live,” frequentative of habēre “to have, hold”

Explanation

Your habitat is the environment you are accustomed to living in. Zoos usually try to mimic the habitats of the animals they keep, housing bats in a nocturnal house and monkeys in a cage with trees to climb and swing from. The origins of habitat aren't exactly what you would expect. The word goes back to the Latin habitare meaning "to live or dwell," which itself goes back to habere meaning "to have or own." It seems logical that if you own a place, it is your home. Habitat is usually used with animals and plants that live in and are adapted to a specific environment. In nature, orchids and banana plants live in a warm, humid habitat.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

habitat habitats

"She had to leave her habitat, and we had to rescue her, primarily because of the flames," said Andi Muhammad Khadafi, head of the Central Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

Indonesian wildlife authorities rescued 46 of the apes, which are critically endangered, before fires tore through their habitat in August and September.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

He's sceptical about what was shot into the clouds, and questions how safe it was for both residents and their habitat.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

This fall, graduate student Wyatt Hall is deploying motion-activated wildlife cameras across the burros’ habitat to help track and count the population.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Huge swaths of forest were logged and cleared out, obliterating vast areas and rendering them unsuitable for panda habitat.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh

Yorkshire Wildlife Park spans 150 acres with 15 unique habitats featuring wide paths and raised viewing areas.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Last month, the International Union for Conservation of Nature warned fires were burning in habitats containing 52 percent of Borneo's orangutan population.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

The results could influence everything from the placement of future habitats to the design of equipment and the development of systems that allow astronauts to make use of resources already available on the Moon.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

Currently, the birds are found in alpine meadows, located high in the mountains above the forests, which form some of the Himalayas' most important seasonal grazing and biodiversity-rich habitats.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Once the colonists had reached the shores of Greater Australia, they spread quickly over the whole continent to occupy even its farthest reaches and most inhospitable habitats.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• cave
• dwelling
• environment
• haven
• nest
• surroundings
• terrain
• territory