inhabit

American  

[in-hab-it] / ɪnˈhæb ɪt /

verb (used with object)

1. to live or dwell in (a place), as people or animals.

   Small animals inhabited the woods.

   Synonyms:

   populate, tenant, occupy, reside

2. to exist or be situated within; dwell in.

   Weird notions inhabit his mind.

   Synonyms:

   populate, tenant, occupy, reside

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verb (used without object)

1. Archaic. to live or dwell, as in a place.

inhabit British  

/ ɪnˈhæbɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to live or dwell in; occupy

2. archaic (intr) to abide or dwell

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Other Word Forms

• inhabitability noun
• inhabitable adjective
• inhabitation noun
• preinhabit verb (used with object)
• preinhabitation noun
• reinhabit verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of inhabit

First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin inhabitāre, equivalent to in- in- ² + habitāre “to dwell” ( see habit ²); replacing Middle English enhabiten, from Middle French enhabiter, from Latin as above

Explanation

When you inhabit a place, you live there. When actors inhabit their roles, they seem to become the characters, no longer actors reciting their lines. It is like they live the life of the character. The verb inhabit comes from the Old French enhabiter, meaning “dwell in.” You can inhabit an actual place, like a home, a cave, or a neighborhood. You can also inhabit an imaginary world, like those who choose to inhabit cyberspace with a made-up persona, telling about experiences that are nothing like the person's real life. Actors who truly inhabit their roles sometimes struggle to return to reality after a movie or television show wraps.

Example Sentences

Seven years ago, just 50 pine hoverflies were thought to inhabit a single woodland site and the species is still considered critically endangered.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Bartram's and Altamaha bass are native to flowing river systems, where they typically inhabit pools and fast-moving areas near rocky shoals.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

He did so on the strength of a performance that required him to inhabit dual roles as twin brothers Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler’s vampires-in-the-Mississippi Delta smash.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

They "create a mood, create a palette, create a feeling for characters, the places they inhabit."

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

If Lowell’s canal network really existed, the conclusion that intelligent beings inhabit Mars might be similarly compelling.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• locate
• occupy
• populate
• possess
• reside