habitation

American  

[hab-i-tey-shuhn] / ˌhæb ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

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

• habitational adjective
• interhabitation noun
• nonhabitation noun

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; habitat ) + -iōn- -ion

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

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

You won’t see deer, tapir, peccaries, monkeys or chicken-like curassows anywhere within trekking distance of habitation; they’ve all been eaten.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

"This facility had been occupied by Daesh, most likely to store weapons and explosives. The area around the facility is devoid of any civilian habitation," the statement added.

From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026

Lab-grown food, she said, could potentially be better for astronauts, as well as reduce costs to the levels required to make long-term off-world habitation viable.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2025

Talk was, the king did not mean to send for Queen Selyse and their daughter until the Nightfort was ready for habitation.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin