habitation

American  

[hab-i-tay-shuhn] / ˌhæb ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

• habitations
  plural

1. a place of residence; dwelling; abode.

   Synonyms:

   domicile, home

2. the act of inhabiting; occupancy by inhabitants.

3. a colony or settlement; community.

   Each of the scattered habitations consisted of a small number of huts.

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habitation British  

/ ˌhæbɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. a dwelling place

2. occupation of a dwelling place

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interhabitation
  noun
• nonhabitation
  noun
• habitational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• habitations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of habitation

1325–75; Middle English ( h ) abitacioun (< Anglo-French ) < Latin habitātiōn- (stem of habitātiō ) a dwelling, equivalent to habitāt ( us ) inhabited (past participle of habitāre; see habitat) + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

Habitation is the state of living somewhere. When an area has no human habitation, it means that no people live there. Use the noun habitation to talk about the place where a person or animal lives, or the process or act of living in a specific spot. You can say that your family's habitation in Oregon lasted for five years, although it's more common to talk in a general way about habitation. The habitation of wolves in the American west, for example, has increased recently. The Latin root is habitationem, "act of dwelling," which comes from habitare, "to live or to dwell."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

habitation habitations

“Unsheltered” people live outdoors, in cars, in abandoned buildings, or in other places deemed unfit for human habitation, HUD says.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

They also will test new technologies and begin putting in place the infrastructure needed to support future human habitation.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

Many houses have the neglected look of infrequent habitation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026

For example, there are potential plans to use underground cave systems on the moon as habitation, which would reduce the radiation danger substantially.

From Slate ● Mar. 1, 2026

He managed to climb above the opening, but when he slid down and entered the rock place, he saw nothing a woman could use and the vestiges of human habitation were Cold.

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison

Pedestrians crossing the bridge pass through a fabricated interior, a cavern-like space printed in 3D realism and enhanced with a specially designed scent to evoke the dank, earthy aroma of humankind’s early habitations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026

But what those habitations looked like—or whether they were occupied year-round—remains unclear.

From Science Magazine ● Nov. 14, 2023

Mr Kenoyer says he's confident that "there must be some settlements that relate to the cemetery, but they are probably lying beneath modern habitations or so far undiscovered".

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2023

Media showed images of the river lashing through the hills and entering human habitations.

From Reuters ● Oct. 4, 2023

At these generous habitations, we halted briefly, that an ensign might deliver word to the inhabitants of our securing the island in the name of His Majesty.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

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