habitat

American  

[hab-i-tat] / ˈhæb ɪˌtæt /

noun

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. ).

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

A victim of government-sanctioned culling, trigger-happy farmers and rising road traffic, by 2002 the Iberian lynx was on the verge of extinction, with just 94 cats left in their natural habitat.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

The newly protected area includes species-rich chalk grassland, important archaeological records and habitat for rare wildlife, including the endangered Duke of Burgundy butterfly.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

They say wild animals shouldn’t be taken out of their natural habitat; capybaras love water, mud, and grass, and it’s cruel to take them away from it.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

"Based on our results, we recommend focusing on areas where all three species persist together as an indicator of suitable food, or habitat, for future potoroo translocation sites."

From Science Daily • May 20, 2026

These insects, so essential to our agriculture and indeed to our landscape as we know it, deserve something better from us than the senseless destruction of their habitat.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

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