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

The glow worm population is thought to be at risk nationally from loss of habitat, climate change and light pollution.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

According to the charity, about 80% of UK butterfly species have declined over the past 50 years due to factors including habitat loss, pollution and climate change.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

The nonprofit has long maintained that the land — reportedly the last undeveloped sliver of Big Bear Lake’s shoreline — represents critical foraging habitat for the eagles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Together they have mapped about 15 square kilometres of critical habitat.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Exhibit one: their bamboo-only diet is too restrictive—limiting their habitat and potentially starving them with massive bamboo die-offs.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh

Cooling temperatures during the shift from the Pliocene to the early Pleistocene, along with major changes in local habitats, may have contributed to the disappearance of Limnospondylus ajimuensis.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

This comes as conservationists at the estate introduced new freshwater habitats, providing a refuge for the heron, but also water voles, otters, pine martens, and even white-tailed eagles.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

In the report they published following their visit, they highlighted damage to turtle nesting sites, bird habitats and the local dunes.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

She said the long-term fall in butterfly populations, dating back to the 1970s, had been driven by their habitats being destroyed or degraded.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

In contrast, the Mediterranean zones of southwestern Australia and, to a lesser degree, of South Africa and western Europe offer a narrower range of altitudes, habitats, and topographies.

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

Related Words

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