habitant

¹ American  

[hab-i-tuhnt] / ˈhæb ɪ tənt /

noun

1. an inhabitant.

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habitant ² American  

[hab-i-tuhnt, a-bee-tahn] / ˈhæb ɪ tənt, a biˈtɑ̃ /

noun

habitants plural

1. a French settler in Canada or Louisiana, or a descendant of one, especially a farmer.

2. Canadian. a Canadian of French speech and culture, especially one residing in the province of Quebec.

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habitant British  

/ ˈhæbɪtənt /

noun

1. a less common word for inhabitant

2. 1. an early French settler in Canada or Louisiana, esp a small farmer

   2. a descendant of these settlers, esp a farmer

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• habitants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of habitant¹

1480–90; < Latin habitant- (stem of habitāns ), present participle of habitāre to inhabit. See habitat, -ant

Origin of habitant²

1780–90; < French, present participle of habiter < Latin habitāre to inhabit

Example Sentences

France consumes about 2.2 pounds of mustard a year per habitant, making it the world’s largest consumer.

From New York Times • Jul. 14, 2022

The tourists invaded the handicraft shops for carved wooden curios, bright habitant shawls, blankets, hooked rugs, and furs.

From Time Magazine Archive

Stocky, earnest Louis Robichaud is the descendant of an habitant who settled in the province in 1609.

From Time Magazine Archive

The habitant calls it the "victory in the cradle."

From Time Magazine Archive

What the Canadian habitant is to-day, we know.

From The Ifs of History by Chamberlin, Joseph Edgar